[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Scott have you considered planting buffalo grass?
After all it is the original grass of the great plains and is one heck of a turf builder.
It takes little from the soil and helps tremendously.
I would really like to see you try this stuff on a small scale.
It only needs about 2 inches of water every 2 weeks and no fertilizer.
I think it would be right down your alley.
I have a small patch growing in decomposed granite of all places.
And I don't water it so it will go dormant until the next rain.
Due to this it will keep out unwanted weeds and other grasses.
It is a natural for Oklahoma and Texas literally.
I'm here to help not hinder.

Worth

I have strongly considered it yes. Right now I am mostly using whatever was there to start with, but as time wears on there is the potential possibility of introducing buffalo grass and other natives as I rotate the beds each year. I am already seeing some natives just popping up on their own. I haven't seen any buffalo grass yet though. Steve Upson advised me to do a trial on keeping a few rows as permanent beds and a few rotated and plant all in the same tomatoes, so I can test which is better. Last year the beds I rotated did better. The permanent ones not so much. But I didn't set it up in a way to collect data. He helped me to set that up this year. If my observations last year are backed up by data this year, I will drop the permanent bed idea all together. That means every year I have the opportunity to plant a native mix as a cover crop/living mulch. In 2 to 3 years that could theoretically transform a field to mostly natives if it works. While still pulling a crop off it every year. That most certainly fits the goals of this project for sure! But I am not sure it will work?