No because DOG TUFF™ Grass is a special hybrid that does not go to seed so must be propagated by hand. Thus, it only comes in plugs.

Time to Plant

DOG TUFF™ is a warm season grass. This means it is active and green when the night time temperatures are above 50 Degrees Fahrenheit. If you plant more than a week or 2 before peak season time, the grass may be shocked if a cold spell hits.

It is recommended to prepare your area a couple weeks before you plant so plan accordingly.

Note on colder areas

Zone 4 has a couple of issues. We have found that the low freezing temps are not as much of an issue as the length of time it stays warm enough. Its the number of days that the temperature stays above 50 degrees at night that is most important. If it does survive, it will be dormant for quite a long time.

The dates below are approximate. You may need to do your own research for your area.

Planting by Zone & City

• Zone 4: June 1st - August 15th

Cheyenne

• Zone 5: May 15th - September 15th

Denver / Fort Collins / Flagstaff

• Zone 6: May 5th - September 20th

Salt Lake City / Sante Fe

• Zone 7: April 20th - Oct 1st

Las Vegas / Albuquerque / Amarillo

• Zone 8: April 1st - October 10th

Palm Springs / Dallas / Austin

• Zone 9 & 10: March 15th - November 1st

Los Angeles / Phoenix / San Diego / Houston

• DOG TUFF™ Grass is drought-tolerant and loves the heat and sunshine but also grows in areas with more rainfall.
• DOG TUFF™ Grass is incredibly resilient to heavy traffic and dog urine.
• DOG TUFF™ Grass uses up to 90% less water than traditional blue grass varieties once fully grown in and doesn't require as much fertilizer or mowing.
• DOG TUFF™ Grass prevents Japanese Beetle larva from growing and spreading.
• DOG TUFF™ Grass is a pollinator plant--bees love it.
• DOG TUFF™ Grass is incredibly soft to the touch and is great for paws and bare feet alike with super fine blades of grass.
• DOG TUFF™ Grass is super pet-friendly and kid-friendly.

Dog Parks

Another common question is in relation to dog parks and apartment complexes with dog potty areas. What we say is that DOG TUFF™ Grass will hold up better to dog use significantly better than any grass we have seen, but it does have its limits. Essentially, if you are using a small patch of grass as a destination for multiple dogs to go to the bathroom, you might run into issues. Some dog parks might get a hundred dogs all going in and out of a small gate and trample a dense pathway all day. This would be another example of an extreme case we are hesitant to recommend for DOG TUFF™ Grass.

The best use of DOG TUFF™ Grass would be in all of the thin "hell strips" and lawn areas that lead up to and go around dog parks, or it might even work planted in the farther sections of dog areas that are not getting the most extreme use.

Heavy traffic areas

We do have some ideas that might help increase the durability of heavy traffic areas. We are still testing this out, but have found that if small gravel is applied on top of the grass after it has grown in, it will grow through and help create a structure that is harder to compact. This method has been tried on a drive way which has very heavy traffic, and has had some promising results.

Another option that is being tested is using metal or plastic permeable pavers. These help distribute the weight and the grass can grow right through them.

Cold Hardiness/ Temperature

Best grown in USDA Cold hardiness Zone 5 and above.

DOG TUFF™ Grass can survive down to at least USDA Cold hardiness Zone 4 but in these locations it will be dormant for longer periods so we do not recommend it. Find your USDA Cold hardiness Zone based on zip code.

Part of why DOG TUFF™ Grass is so drought tolerant is because it is a warm season grass. It loves the hot summer weather. It becomes active when the nighttime low temperatures start trending above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the Denver area it will be green and growing from late May into Early October, with variation depending on the yearly weather. The warmer your climate, the longer it will be active and growing.

Full Sun

DOG TUFF™ Grass requires at least 6 hour of full sun per day. It will thin and decline in partial shade and stop growing once it reaches it’s limits. Even though the grass goes dormant in the winter months, having full sun will help it green up faster when it wakes back up.

If there is heavy shade and snow in winter, packed ice has been seen to be an issue. This is quite rare, and only seems to happen when ice packs and stays on for months at a time.

Rainfall / Clouds

Dense cloud cover for long periods of time may decrease its ability to really thrive.

In places with more rain, expect to mow it more often. We only need to mow about once a month here in Colorado during the summer as it never gets much above 5 inches tall, but with more water it grows faster and taller.

If you live in an area with more humidity and/or rainfall you may have to pay more attention to mowing regularly to help prevent fungus spots. Although fungus spots are quite rare in dry climates, other similar grasses grown in higher humidity areas east of Colorado can run into this issue. Mowing it more often will help improve airflow and prevent the fungus from thriving in dense grass

We have found that DOG TUFF™ GRASS is quite cold tolerant. We say that it is not a very useful option in Cold Hardiness Zones 4 because if it does survive it will be dormant for a significant part of the year. The main concern is the number of nights that the temperatures go above 50 degrees F. Some locations on the front range of Colorado may be zone 4 but warm up at night. Other places in the central mountains may still be zone 4 but there may only be a few weeks a year (or less) of warm enough night time temperatures. This is a warm season grass, it needs warmth to grow roots to establish to be able to survive the winter.

When temperatures drop below 50ºF at night. It will be dormant a little longer than bluegrass, but this means it will peak and thrive during the hottest months, with way less water.

DOG TUFF™ Grass does extremely well with low water and is incredibly drought-tolerant. Because of this, the watering frequency needs to only occur once every 3 weeks or less* once completely filled in depending on how hot and dry it is.

*For the first couple of weeks after planting, the plugs can't dry out so should be watered once or twice a day depending on how hot and dry your climate is. The more you water at the beginning, the faster it will grow in.

WHILE DOG TUFF™ GRASS DOESN'T REQUIRE A TON OF WATER ONCE IT FILLS IN AND GROWS ROOTS, YOU DO STILL NEED TO WATER ANY TREES AND OTHER PLANTS NEARBY THAT AREN'T DROUGHT TOLERANT MORE FREQUENTLY TO PREVENT THEM FROM DYING.

How Long Until the Plugs Fill In?

Depending on where you are located, it can take 6-8 weeks; 6 weeks in warmer, sunnier areas.

Why Plugs?

Common water thirsty lawns such as bluegrass and other cool season grasses come in seed and sod. While this has its advantages, it also means these grasses can be aggressive and spread under barriers or throw seed into unwanted parts of your garden.

DOG TUFF™ Grass on the other hand is a clone that can't fertilize itself. This means that it will not go to seed. For this reason we propagate it by hand using small plugs that you can plant in your garden. Like strawberries, DOG TUFF™ Grass will spread with above ground runners and fill into a nice dense lawn.

DOG TUFF™ Grass is NOT completely immune to dog urine; however, it is more resilient than other grasses and seems to recover faster.

Dog Urine Biology

Every Dog is different. Some breeds are larger and their Urine may be more or less potent. The main factor is where they pee. Female dogs tend to be harder on lawns because they squat and pee in one place, while male dogs may spread it further and walk around. Diet can have a big impact on your Dog's urine. There are even some supplements that can help. Encouraging them to drink more water can also help to dilute their urine which is also healthier for the dog. Talk to your vet to see what may work for your dog. Click this article for more information.

Large Dogs or Small Potty Areas 

DOG TUFF™ Grass is incredibly resilient to heavy traffic and Dog Urine. The perfect location for DOG TUFF™ Grass is a normal sized yard with a large area for dogs to run, play, and potty.

We do not recommend using a small patch of DOG TUFF™ Grass as the sole bathroom or running area for large dogs. The most extreme case we have seen involved 3 large Bullmastiffs (120 lb dogs!) that only had about 100 square feet of DOG TUFF™ Grass planted. This was too much for the grass and would be hard on any living plant.

DOG TUFF™ Grass can handle light traffic 6-8 weeks after planting. For faster usability, plant the plugs closer together.

Some people opt to do half of their yard at a time to allow their dogs space to run while they wait for the DOG TUFF™ to fill in fully.

Measuring your yard

If you have a rectangle or square site it is easy to find the size. If you have multiple sections of your yard you can divide them into rectangles and add the results together.

Just measure the length and width in feet, and then multiply them to get your total square footage.  We recommend 10 inch spacing of the plugs for the optimal balance of fill in time to cost. This means that each tray of 72 plugs will fill out about 48 Square feet.  If you have some left over plugs, it’s easy just to pop them in somewhere in an area to fill in faster. 

Spacing

If you would like it to fill in faster you can plant the plugs closer together. If you are on a tight budget you can plant a little farther, but we do not recommend much farther than about 12 inches because it will leave the ground open for longer and leave space for new weed seeds to germinate.

Ordering Your Trays

Due to a surge in popularity, we recommend ordering early to secure your grass. Pre-orders for the following year begin in the fall and often fill up our availability for early spring.  To make sure the grass thrives on your planting day, we have created a scheduler on our checkout page, so you can plan on when to get it, and it won't arrive too early for your location.  Dates are filled on a first come first served basis.

Bulk Orders

If you would like to order more than 40 trays, please reach out to us. We might be able to find an alternative freight shipping for faster and cheaper service: info@dogtuffgrass.com or call Sven 720-255-3692 or Justin 720-474-9593

Pickup

Pickups take place at Kelly Grummon’s Xeric Garden at 308 Jay Street, Lakewood Colorado 80226. Pickups are only available during scheduled times. If you would like a tour or pick up some cactus or other drought tolerant plants you can do so from Kelly's site Cold Hardy Cactus.

The grass comes in 10x20 inch trays that can stack 5 or more high to easily fit into the back of any car.

If you have already placed an order and need to change your date, or can not make your pickup time, please contact us at info@dogtuffgrass.com or call Sven 720-255-3692 or Justin 720-474-9593

Shipping

We ship to most warmer and western states. For the list of states we do not ship to, see the "What States is DOG TUFF™ Shipped to" tab. Please allow a few business days for it to arrive after the date you pick. The grass comes in 10x20 inch trays that will be stacked into boxes.  

DOG TUFF™ Grass loves the sun and hot weather. It does well in places with cold winters, it will just have longer dormancy periods. In Regions with more precipitation, it may grow longer and just need more mowing. We have closed shipping to states that it would have a hard time thriving or we feel it would't be worth growing. 

We do not ship to:

• Alaska
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Iowa
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Montana
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Dakota
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Dakota
• Vermont
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin

We have compiled a step by step Planting Guide to ensure your DOG TUFF™ Grass thrives.

Help with installations

We are working hard to find more landscaping and garden design companies to help you with your installations. Please visit our installation partner page here.

Yes you can try this. However we do not recommend it. Bluegrass is a cool season grass that is wide, tall, and dark colored, and DOG TUFF™ is a Warm Season Grass that is fine, low growing, and bright green in color.  If you interplant them, they will both stand out--especially during opposite seasons when one is dormant and the other is active. 

Because of their opposite growing seasons, neither grass will outcompete the other. So if you plant DOG TUFF™ into or next to Bluegrass, it wouldn't take over. It would fill in and they would have sort of a stale mate or stand off. 

Some people do not mind and just want to cover the ground and having a manicured lawn is not their priority. 

A number of years back there were some posts online that suggested planting annual ryegrass right after planting the DOG TUFF™ Grass. We no longer recommend doing this, but still get questions from time to time. 

Short answer: If you get true annual ryegrass it could work. The issue is that most annual ryegrass is contaminated with perennial ryegrass seed. So if you plant it, it will not die and just come back over and over, meaning you would have a huge hassle to pull it out once the DOG TUFF™ Grass is fully filled in.

Some annual type weeds will eventually be smothered by DOG TUFF™ Grass, but other deeper rooted or pernicious and perennial weeds may sprout back after the tops have been cut off. Do your best to remove the weeds entirely from the root--potentially with a shovel.

If you planted into an area that previously had a thick lawn, you will likely have less weed seeds germinating. However, if you planted into bare ground, new things will sprout faster than you might realize. The nice thing is, small sprouts will not have deep roots, so if you want to control them organically, you can be diligent and pull them by hand. Remember once they do get deep roots, they will be harder to remove!

Herbicide once the grass is growing

The only product that was tested at the CSU Plant Select DOG TUFF™ Grass Trial was 2-4 D Amine #4   46%.   Any other herbicide might cause harm or kill dog Tuff.

If you apply the first season, make sure to wait at least a month to 6 weeks after planting before you apply this so the grass has time to root in.

We use 4 teaspoons per gallon of water mixed in a pump sprayer. Make sure there is no other Herbicide in the product you buy. Never use the same sprayer that had other chemicals. Sometimes chemicals can't be washed out as they may bind to the plastic leaving a harmful toxic amount that might be sprayed unintentionally.

It may take a few days to a week to be absorbed and show signs of plant decline,  don't be alarmed. Some other herbicides add a burn off chemical which burns leaves fast, but then the chemicals are not absorbed so the roots just re-sprout in a few weeks. If they are small, a very light spray should kill them. Try it when temps are between 60ºF and 80ºF and don't water or wash it off with rain. Make sure to avoid spraying any other plants nearby. It can kill any broad leaved plants.  Try to spray on a calm day so that the wind doesn't carry it to other plants. 

Be sure to wait 4-6 weeks in between applications -- don't use more often than this.

*This is not advice on what you should do with chemicals. This is only a guideline on what we have seen. Make sure to do your own research and read the labels very carefully. Realize that many chemicals are toxic to humans and all kinds of life. Many of these chemicals are also already banned in other countries as people learn the health issues they cause so use sparingly.

It's great to have extra! You can plant them in choice spots so it fills in even faster. The pattern won't matter once the grass is fully filled in.