FAQ
Q. Why do warm season plants like Tahoma 31 use so much less water than most other plants?
Q. Why do we see more cool season plants in Colorado than warm season plants?
The planet is overwhelmingly populated by C3 (cool season) plants. Nearly 97% of all plant species are C3 plants including virtually all trees and shrubs, a majority of grasses as well as almost all food and fiber crops. C3 plants were the first plants on the planet and evolved 500-700 million years ago. C4 plants have only recently evolved with the first C4 plants being found 20-30 million years ago. In Colorado, like the rest of the planet, well over 95% of the plants are C3 grasses.
Q. Why don’t we see more C4 plants in the Colorado Landscape?
Most C4 plants have problems with cold winter temperatures leading to survivability issues over the winter. Grasses that are used in warmer climates in landscaping including Zoysiagrass, bahaiagrass, St. Augustinegrass do not survive the winters of Colorado. Until Tahoma 31 was released the same could be said of bermudagrasses. As we’re seeing now, the cold hardiness of Tahoma 31 is upending everything!
Q. Does Tahoma 31 have limits on its cold hardiness here in Colorado?
We are still learning what the exact range looks like, but I would suggest we keep the elevation under 7250’ and make sure that especially as we get close to this elevation that the area be very sunny. I think that Tahoma 31 should work well in over 95% of the front range of Colorado but areas on the Palmer Divide as well as areas up into the mountains will be better served with a cool-season alternative to Tahoma 31. Also, an extremely cold winter may cause damage to parts of a lawn in marginal areas especially.
Q. Cool season grasses also have winter kill issues. Is the same mechanism responsible for both?
The winter kill that happens in bluegrass and fescues is most often tied to desiccation or dryness. It is very common to see this winterkill on south facing slopes or sunny exposures. These are areas that tend to have very low risk of winter damage with warm season grasses. Tahoma 31 loves the extra heat of the southern or southwest exposures.
Q. Are there any other bermudagrasses that you would recommend for the Colorado front range?
Right now, we just don’t see anything else on the market or on the horizon that we would feel comfortable with. Cold hardiness is the magic bullet with bermudagrass. Tahoma 31 was such a leap forward with cold tolerance from any other bermudagrasses. Before Tahoma 31 was developed bermudagrass in Colorado just wasn’t an option. Yanqi Wu and his team at Oklahoma State who developed Tahoma 31 are horticultural heroes for setting in motion a revolution in Colorado.
Q. What are the real water savings potential for Tahoma 31 lawns?
I can’t really state enough how much less water Tahoma uses compared to other landscape material including cool season grasses, trees, shrubs, etc. Tahoma 31 is really an outlier here. Tahoma 31 doesn’t just offer incremental or marginal water savings but instead water savings of over 50% and maybe as much as 70%. Supplemental water requirement for a nice consistently green color throughout the growing season is less than 8 gallons per square foot per year. A watering program that allows for some periodic aesthetic variation could use as little as 5 gallons/square foot. To put this in perspective the Colorado Water Conservation Board just published a report that the average Colorado xeriscape landscape averages 9.5 gallons/square foot. Imagine over 40 years of convention being thrown out of the window because of this revolutionary grass!
Q. How does Tahoma 31 water use compare with “native” seed blends that are being planted?
Tahoma 31 again uses significantly less water than the cool season “native” mixes. The native mixes rely on summer dormancy during water deficit to get a reduction in water use. The irrigation rates that I listed above assume a desire to maintain green color during the entire growing season. We are currently proposing a study to investigate the possibility of growing Tahoma 31 WITHOUT ANY supplemental irrigation and allowing the Tahoma 31 to green up and go brown with natural rain cycles. I am excited to test this application because this would absolutely change everything in landscape design.
Q. Are there any drawbacks to Tahoma 31?
Tahoma 31 is amazing with water savings and fertilizer savings as well as reduced mowing requirements. It has great color and is wear tolerant but there are drawbacks. Tahoma 31 has a shorter growing season than bluegrass or fescue and it doesn’t love shade. And even though we have had GREAT luck with winter tolerance in turf trials and in real world placement across the front range a really cold winter could cause real problems.
Q. How wear tolerant is Tahoma 31?
Tahoma 31 is very wear tolerant. The NFL has Tahoma in many stadiums across the US including cold venues like Soldier Field in Chicago and Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. When Tahoma 31 is green and growing it is probably the most wear tolerant grass available. All grasses tend to be less wear tolerant when they are dormant, and I would anticipate the same from Tahoma 31.
Q. How shade tolerant is Tahoma 31?
Tahoma 31 is the most shade tolerant warm season grass alive, but we are still recommending a cool season alternative in heavily shaded areas. Our Survivalist tall fescue is probably the best bet for shady areas.
Q. What is the planting season of Tahoma 31?
Because Tahoma 31 is a warm season plant, warmer temperatures promote more growth and more rooting. For this reason, our prime installation time of Tahoma 31 is June 1 thru August 15.
Q. How much less mowing does Tahoma 31 require?
A lot less mowing is the short answer. Tahoma 31 can be maintained at various heights and the height will determine the frequency. Tahoma can be mowed at extremely low heights down to greens height of 1/8 of an inch(wow) or it can be left to grow to its maximum of 4-5 inches without mowing. The lower the cutting height the more frequently it should be mowed. Consistency is important for the aesthetic look of Tahoma 31. Removal of more than 1/3 of the canopy height will cause scalping and an ugly look. We have seen short Tahoma and unmowed Tahoma and they are incredibly different in appearance, but both are very aesthetically appealing. We have experienced an annual reduction in mowing of 80%.
Q. Are there any tips for speeding up the spring green-up?
In early April we recommend a very close mowing to remove a lot of the brown vegetation and to expose the crown of the plant to the heat from sunlight.
Q. What impact will Tahoma 31 have on landscape design?
The obvious answer is that not only will you see Tahoma 31 replacing cool season lawn grasses and native grasses in a lot of scenarios, but you will see it also replacing a lot of other landscape materials. One of the most concerning trends in landscape design in the last ten years is the increased use of rock and other non-living materials. These materials increase the landscape heat and by extension increase urban heat. These materials also increase storm water runoff and run-off velocity. Also, aside from its negative environmental impact rock is generally agreed to be less visually appealing than living plants. I won’t even talk about plastic grass with its PFAS, forever chemicals, and hot surface temperatures. The water savings that Tahoma 31 promises to open so many possibilities and really is going to change the trajectory of landscape design along the Colorado front range.
Q. Some municipalities have coverage limits on cool season turfgrasses. The state has also limited the amount of turfgrass in commercial settings. How does Tahoma 31 fit into these regulations?
Tahoma 31 is exempt from all coverage limits. Tahoma 31 is a low-water, warm season grass that provides all the benefits of high-density grass without the associated elevated water use. Tahoma 31 will reduce urban landscape temperatures, reduce run-off, and do so with water use rates that rival any xeriscape or other water-wise landscape.
Q. A recent report said that between 25% to 30% of residential landscapes in Colorado Springs have essentially been abandoned. That neglect “has a significant, negative impact on our collective quality of life and economic vitality,” said Colorado Springs Utilities in a statement. Adding, “our work is to reach these customers as well.” How does Tahoma 31 fit into this?
Over the last 10-20 years water rates have increased substantially, even outpacing inflation. This, in conjunction with water restrictions, led many people to lose the desire or ability to maintain their landscapes. The water savings from Tahoma 31 should give new promise that an affordable landscape with sustainable water use is possible. We believe that this segment will benefit substantially as Tahoma 31 becomes more prevalent.
Q. According to the Colorado Water Conservation Board the average xeriscape uses 9.5 gallons of water per square foot per year. How does Tahoma 31 fit into the discussion of xeriscape.
I really think the best answer is that Tahoma 31 is A Tahoma 31 landscape uses considerable less water than the average that the Colorado Water Conservation Board reported. Tahoma 31 uses less water per square foot than the average traditional xeriscape with improved environmental benefits of reduced landscape temperatures, decreased runoff and above all else increased utility and functionality. A Tahoma 31 landscape also costs less to install and maintain than the typical xeriscape. Your dogs and kids will thank us!