Q. I have read about buffalo grass. Why don’t more property owners use it for a lawn grass, it is supposedly very drought tolerant and easy to grow by seed?
A. Buffalo grass does best west of this area where it can take advantage of its drought tolerance and requirement for full sun. It does not produce a dense lawn and is overtaken by weeds where water is available. The main competition in our area comes from Bermuda grass especially if you try to mow the buffalo grass lawn at less than 6 inches tall.
Q. We feed the birds and get quite a few visits from Cooper’s hawks. Their favorite prey seems to be white-winged doves. What amazes us is that the Cooper’s hawks and squirrels seem to ignore each other. Do the hawks prey on squirrels in other locations?
A. Reportedly the redtailed hawks will prey on the squirrels, but in my neighborhood, the squirrels and Cooper’s hawks have the same relationship that you describe for your area.
Q. On your radio show and in this column, you have talked about the problem with cyclamen breaking at the base because of squirrel and raccoon traffic on the containers. Is there any simple solution?
A. You can reduce the traffic by not placing the containers with the plants near to trees. There are also some repellent sprays that may discourage digging in the containers and the frequency of the visits by the wildlife, cats and terriers.