By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The city of Hays and the K-State Agriculture Research Center have partnered to produce test plots of warm season grass for this growing season.

Seven buffalo varieties and one Bermuda variety will be planted at the research center south of Hays in 10-by-10-foot duplicate plots near the beginning of June.

The grass should be somewhat established by July, according to Hays Water Specialist Jason Riegel.

Riegel and Joe Becker, groundskeeper at the research center, will “maintain some plots as homeowners would normally water their lawns. Other plots will be allowed to be stressed by minimal watering to simulate the local climate conditions,” Riegel said.

“We encourage people to come out (to the research center), take off their shoes and walk through the plots.”

Riegel said the tests should be of particular interest to people who are considering taking advantage of the city’s turf conversion program which offers a rebate for switching lawns from water-intensive cool season grasses to more water-efficient warm season grasses.

“It would have been better if we had planted the test plots last year for those residents considering making the switch this year. But this will be a test in progress and the grass plots will be maintained,” he added.

For more information about the turf conversion program, call Riegel at (785) 628-7350 or go to the city’s website, http://www.haysusa.com/TurfConversionRebateApp_2015.pdf.