Now is perfect time to spray invasive buffelgrass

“This is a perfect time to spray for buffelgrass,” said Lindy Brigham, executive director of the Southern Arizona Buffelgrass Coordination Center. “As long as it is mostly green and growing, it can be sprayed. Once it starts to turn straw colored, spraying is no longer effective. Then it should be pulled.”

BUFFELGRASS THREAT

Buffelgrass is an extremely flammable, rapidly growing African grass introduced into the United States in the early 1900s to control erosion and feed cattle.

In the Sonoran Desert, it is taking over terrain and water supplies needed by native species.

It provides fuel for fires that can spread quickly and destroy native plants in wild areas and property in urban Tucson.

EFFECTIVE SPRAYS

Widely available herbicide sprays such as Roundup are effective in killing buffelgrass when it’s green and growing.

“The easiest and cheapest chemical for homeowners is any product with glyphosate,” Brigham said. “There are several companies that make formulations of glyphosate, such as Roundup and Accord, and they can be found at places like Lowe’s and Home Depot.”

ADVANTAGES OF SPRAYING

Digging up buffelgrass is an effective control measure, but taking advantage of this opportunity to use sprays instead has several benefits, said John Scheuring, a member of the Arizona Native Plant Society who has been using sprays extensively in recent weeks.

“By spraying, you can cover ground much more efficiently than by digging,” Scheuring said. “You can treat at least 30 times more of say, a roadside, by spraying rather than digging.”

“Another advantage of sprays,” he said, “is that you’re not disturbing the ground.”

Scheuring said spraying might continue to be effective for the next two weeks, depending on how much rain a particular area received and how long the buffelgrass remains green.

He said fountain grass, a landscaping plant, also has invaded many natural desert areas and is detrimental to native vegetation.