This part takes patience and imagination. You are literally watching grass grow! If you start to notice bare spots and want to speed up the process a bit, add fertilizer to boost growth. You can apply a natural organic or slow-release synthetic fertilizer at seeding if you want to get a head start. 

Weed control:

See the chart below for suggested watering times and frequency for the seeds and seedlings. After your seed is spread and raked in, water it consistently and evenly, two-to-three times per day for the first two weeks. The surface should be saturated, but the water should not pool or run off. Make sure the soil stays consistently moist to encourage the seeds to germinate. After germination, water once a day. 

Scatter the seeds by hand evenly over the area you’ve chosen and prepared. Then, rake them into the soil. 

The unusual size and shape of this water-wise grass seed makes it difficult for the seeds to pass through a traditional seeder. Spreading the seed by hand is more effective. 

The seeding rate for this mix is 3 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Your pre-portioned bag of seed mix from Denver Water is 1.5 pounds and should be sufficient for a 500-square-foot area. 

Soil testing — Water-wise grasses usually do not require soil amendments, but getting a soil test is never a bad idea. If your soil’s organic matter is below 1%-2%, soil amendments should be considered. 

You can get a soil test through CSU Extension’s Soil Testing lab.

You will need to decide if your soil should be tilled, aerated or left “as is” prior to seeding your water-wise grass lawn. If your soil is heavily compacted, tilling or aeration is recommended. 

First, it’s important to pick the right spot. This mixture of Sundance buffalograss and Alma blue grama needs at least 6 hours of full sun to thrive. The grass is not suitable in shady areas or under tree canopy. Additionally, you will want to remove the bluegrass that is already in your chosen location or clear it of rock and other material before planting the water-wise grass seed mix.

There are a few different approaches to removing existing bluegrass: