You may have visited our website, or checked out our blog, or maybe you’ve stopped by our facebook page or chatted with us on the phone…either way you probably haven’t had a chance to see us in person! So come with me and I’ll give you a quick tour of our humble little abode…
The office, you’ll find me and my noisy dog in here…
The greenhouse
The “breezeway” – it connects the two halves of the greenhouse and is where packing and planting take place
Our dirt mixer – yes, we make our own dirt mix! – Goes in at the top on the far right, then trays are feed on the conveyor belt to be filled
Our planting station – finished trays move down the conveyor belt in the center of the table to be racked and moved into the greenhouse
Trays are labeled and barcoded for tracking
Then they’re moved into Greenhouse 4 where the conditions are carefully monitored so as not to stress the newly planted cuttings
Once trays have rooted, they’re moved across the way into Greenhouse 5 to harden up
Greenhouse 5
Automatic retracting shade nets and roofs allow the trays to be exposed to the elements so that they are ready for outside conditions when they move on to our customers
Automatic watering booms run across each bay of the greenhouse, watering the trays
Once the trays are ready to be shipped, they’re fixed (trays are checked for bad or missing plugs and replaced with quality ones) and packed
And then OnTrac comes and picks everything up to be delivered!
Where are you located?
Is the Buffalo Grass planted anywhere in San Diego County where we could see it?
Sooo sorry for the late response Stevenson’s! I’ll also send you an email just in case…We’re located in Fresno, California. I’ll check with our socal rep Tom Hawkins of Florasource and see where he can direct you. I’ll email you right now!
Cuyamaca Water Conservation Garden has UC Verde Grass in their Turf Exhibit. You can see how it looks compared to other grasses and see the difference in the water needed! http://www.thegarden.org
Thanks for sharing June! 🙂
We live in Clayton, CA (94517). We are on the North East side of Mt Diablo where it is very hot and water is very expensive. We have about 1.5 acres and want to plant about 0.3 acres in grass or meadow. Please let me have your thoughts for your product. The area would have very low traffic and no shade. In the winter we do get frost as we are at 1000 ft. We have only had snow stick once but frost is not uncommon.
Wendy Wallace DVM cVA
Hi Wendy! Our Prestige Buffalograss would be best for your space because it is better suited for the colder areas. It is similar to UC Verde in that it is drought tolerant, but does go dormant in the winter. The cost will average about $0.60 per square foot (for cost of plugs, plus installation sourced out – not including cost of prep or irrigation). So to cover a 1/3 acre area or 14,000 sq ft you would be looking at around $8,400, which would be a large initial investment, but over time with the reduction in water you would save. If you have any other questions or concerns we can help you with, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Hi there! We live in Fresno, and our grass on our small front berm and our small lawn patch out back both have huge spots that die out and turn bald each year when the weather turns hot. Always in the same spots. We have kids and dogs and a play set out back. We currently have fescue. Is your grass heartier than fescue? Do you think it would be a good alternative to what we currently have??
Hi Aimee! You sound just like me – kids and dogs and a play set out back 🙂 – Yes, UC Verde is heartier than fescue. Once established, UC Verde is very drought tolerant and loves the warm weather and full sun. It should do much better than the fescue in regards to the bald spots during the warm weather. I suspect that the bald spots are probably areas that lie within the outskirts of your sprinklers reach and that’s why when the weather really warms up they tend to die out. If you have any other questions I can help you with please don’t hesitate to ask! Thanks! Lisa
Hi, Lisa. Thank you for your prompt response. I am very interested in finding out more specifics about the UC Verde. Is there somewhere we could see the grass? Also, where do we purchase the grass, when is the best time of year to plant it, how do people install it, and what does the cost typically run? Thanks again!
You are welcome to come by our office, we have some growing out front. We are located at 2665 N. Polk, in between Clinton and Shields. I don’t have any home-owners that have volunteered their homes to send interested potential customers to. Currently we are out of stock, with our next availability August .You can purchase the grass on our website or call our office at 559-275-3844. Since you’re in Fresno, you can arrange for pick up to avoid shipping charges. We suggest planting between April and August, you install the individual plugs by making small holes to plant them in. This can be done with our custom auger drill bit attachment or by using a small shovel or other tool to make a small hole. Pricing is $68.48 per tray, a quantity discount sets in at 5 trays and up lowering the cost to $65.92. Each tray comes with 128 plugs, which will cover 128 sq feet. We sell by the tray. Please visit our website at http://www.ucverdebuffalograss.com for lots more info and images of the grass! We also have a Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/ucverdebuffalograss with more pics. Thanks!
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We are in Madera Ranchos and are seriously considering redoing our back yard with buffalo grass. My question is this: How well would this grass do if the lawn, being surrounded by trees, would be in a good deal of shade most of the time?
Hi MJ! Unfortunately, UC Verde is not ideal for shady areas, even partially shady areas. It will have delayed to little growth in that environment.
We are in Covina CA. I visited the Chino Basin Water Conservation District and saw the UC Verde they had planted. Their sign said that it stays green when it goes dormant during the winter, however your website says it turns yellow. I also see on your website that it may depend on how close we are located to the coast? I am confused. Can you clear this up?
Hi Thom, for most people it will lose its color during the winter when it goes into dormancy. We have had some customers down in San Diego tell us that it doesn’t not completely lose its color where they are located during its dormancy period. But I would say for the majority of locations, it will lose color from around November to early March.
I have 2 dogs. Can the lawn handle dog urine? I’m in Fresno
Hi Gilbert,
Dog urine will affect UC Verde like other grasses unfortunately. However, it does spread by sending out above ground runners, so there is the possibility that those areas could eventually get covered up!
I live in Fresno and due to watering restrictions I’m considering a more drought tolerant grass than my bluegrass fescue mix. Is this a good option here? Some maps I’ve come across on growers websites show “Prestige” Buffalo grass as the best option in the Central Valley and UC Verde more along the coastal region and SoCal.
Hi Ken,
Yes UC Verde is a great option for Fresno! It loves the sun and the heat and is pretty quick to establish during the summer months if giving the proper initial care. Prestige is better for higher elevations above 2000 ft and colder environments. UC Verde thrives in full sun and the heat. We do not suggest it for shaded areas though, it will have slowed growth. We just did our annual hard prune on our plot in front of our office so it’s not really much to look at, but you’re welcome to come and visit if you want to see it in person! If you have any question feel free to contact us 275-3844 or info@ucverdebuffalograss.com. Thanks! Lisa
I planted my uc verde June 24th per your operator a instructions and the plugs were brown the morning of the 25th. Will they come back if I continue to water.
Hi Kathy,
Can you email me more details on your installation at ltakao@takaonursery.com. Were they healthy on the 24th and brown the very next day? What day did you receive the grass? We will help you get your grass back on track! Thanks!