Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Let us refer you to our How-To Article Native Lawns: Buffalograss which will give you a lot of information on planting and using  Bouteloua dactyloides (buffalograss), as well as soil preparation and removal of previous lawn grasses. Bermudagrass, besides being non-native, is extremely invasive and very difficult to get rid of. Since buffalograss seed planted now would not germinate until the warmer weather of Spring anyway, we would suggest you spent the cooler Fall and Winter weather to prepare your site. A couple of things we want to emphasize about buffalograss: It does not compete well when it is first coming up, and you will need to be vigilant about  weeding. While it needs watering when it is newly planted, once it is established it hardly needs to be watered at all. It might turn brown during a long dry period, but it will come back with cooler, wetter weather. If you water it too much, you will encourage the weeds, including the bermudagrass, that DO need watering. Another thing you need to be aware of is that buffalograss must have full sun, which we consider to be six or more hours a day of sun. 

We do sympathize with your desire to not pull bermudagrass out of your beds for the rest of your life, but you will have to stay after it. It has become an invasive weed, especially in the South, and is propagated both by seeds and by underground rhizomes as well as aboveground stolons. Please stay after it, you will be glad you did.

From our Native Plant Image Gallery:

Bouteloua dactyloides

Bouteloua dactyloides

Bouteloua dactyloides

Bouteloua dactyloides