• 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

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 filed 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 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 currently only ship to the continental United States. Please allow a few business days for it to arrive after the date you pick. The grass comes in 10x20 inch trays that be stacked into boxes.  

We have compiled a step by step How To 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.

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.

Peak Season For Planting by Zone & City

• Zone 4: June 10th

Cheyenne

• Zone 5: June 1st

Denver / Fort Collins / Flagstaff

• Zone 6: May 15th

Salt Lake City / Sante Fe

• Zone 7: May 1st

Las Vegas / Albuquerque / Amarillo

• Zone 8: April 15th

Palm Springs / Dallas / Austin

• Zone 9: April 5th

Los Angeles / Phoenix / San Diego / Houston