Sharp's Improved II Buffalo Grass

Sharp's Improved II is sold as turf-type buffalograss. The species is native to the Great Plains, and K-State lists Sharp's Improved II among its seeded types. That gives the product a clear identity: a named selection for someone who wants a buffalograss lawn, rather than a generic mixture of grasses for a conventional cool-season yard.

Buffalograss spreads by above-ground runners called stolons, which root at points along their length. It can form connected turf, but its appearance and growth calendar differ from Kentucky bluegrass or tall fescue. K-State emphasizes its natural gray-green character and cautions against trying to manage it into an imitation of those lawns. Choose the species because that look and seasonal rhythm appeal to you.

The manufacturer offers 4-, 10- and 25-pound bags. The published product page does not provide a current analysis tag for the lot you would receive, so verify purity, germination and treatment information with the bag. K-State specifically advises checking how buffalograss seed was treated to improve germination. We do not infer a current treatment method or germination percentage from the product name or the color of seed in a photograph.^[1][6][5][4]

Sharp separates planting advice by access to irrigation. Its central-Plains guidance favors April into May when relying on spring rain, and late May into early June when irrigation is available. K-State similarly distinguishes rainfall-dependent spring planting from summer planting on irrigated sites. These are regional strategies, not evidence that dry seed can be scattered anywhere and left alone.

The manufacturer's preparation instructions call for prior weed control and a firm seedbed, with seed no deeper than roughly a quarter to half an inch. It emphasizes keeping the seed zone moist after planting. CSU gives a seven-to-21-day seedling-emergence range with warm soil and consistent irrigation. Cooler soil can delay that response, so judge the actual conditions as well as the elapsed days.

Weed competition deserves a plan before sowing. Sharp recommends mowing taller weeds so they do not shade the developing buffalograss, and K-State cautions that seedlings are sensitive to weed killers. Do not transfer a weed-control routine from an established cool-season lawn to new buffalograss. Identify the weed, read the exact product label if treatment is needed and use local advice for compatibility. Lower-input mature turf can demand attentive work in its first season.^[1][6][5]

After establishment, Sharp recommends a two-to-three-inch mowing height and warns that a lower cut encourages weeds and reduces drought tolerance. K-State gives a somewhat taller home-lawn range of two and a half to four inches. Choose a locally appropriate maintained or naturalistic appearance rather than repeatedly cutting short to force a different lawn style.

More fertilizer and water are not automatically improvements. K-State warns that excessive inputs can favor weeds and defeat the low-maintenance advantage. Use soil testing for phosphorus and potassium decisions, and respond to growth and weather rather than importing a bluegrass feeding calendar. A modestly colored native lawn is a legitimate objective.

If constant traffic is the non-negotiable requirement, compare a locally suitable bermudagrass such as Yukon with its own maintenance demands. If shade is the main constraint, changing to another sunny warm-season seed is unlikely to solve it. Sharp's Improved II makes the strongest case when you accept buffalograss's appearance, seasonal dormancy and establishment work in exchange for a different long-term maintenance pattern.^{[1][6][5][2][3]}