This grass can grow in a variety of soils, ranging from sands to heavy clay. However, seeds are better adapted to sandy loam soil, compared to heavier soils, because seedling establishment is easier. Once established, seedlings can grow vigorously on clay soils. It is seed propagated. The seeds require a clean seedbed for establishment and all seed needs to be evenly distributed when sowing, in order to reduce competition in their early stages. Seed is slightly hairy and may not flow readily through some planting equipment. Mixing seed with superphosphate, or sawdust or pelleting facilitates flow. Stoloniferous types establish more readily than tufted ones. Digitaria eriantha grass has low to moderate salt/alkalinity tolerance and moderate tolerance of aluminium. This grass thrives in warm, moist environments, where it will generally grow very quickly. The ideal rainfall requirement is estimated to be 450 mm and for seeds about 750 mm. The grass responds well to nitrogen and will persist on infertile soils, but yields will be low. The estimated appropriate soil pH is >4.2. The ideal condition for the digit grass is full sun and well-drained, moist soils. The sufficient amount of nitrogen fertilizer is estimated at between 100 and 300 kg/ha N. This amount should be applied at different times, rather than a single application at the start of the season. It is also important to monitor levels of phosphorus and other nutrients throughout the entire growing season. As it grows fairly quickly with sufficient sunshine, it preferably needs to be grazed every 2 to 3 weeks.

Since the seed is fairly expensive, farmers are advised to produce their own seed so that further establishment can be made from their own seed supply. The right time to cut the inflorescence is when the seedhead colour changes from bluish purple to a grey and the lower seeds on the inflorescence have started dropping. The inflorescence can be cut either with an ordinary cutter or by hand. The harvested material is then spread under cover on a cement floor for further drying, after which a tractor is driven backwards and forwards over the cut material, so as to let the seed drop to the floor. The seed can be put through further cleaning processes, but all waste material can be scattered over poor patches in the grass. Once the seed crop has been removed from the land, a lot of leafy material remains to be used as grazing. It can be sown into veld having poor composition or having bare patches, since the grass is palatable. It is important to rest the grass pasture from January so as to allow it to grow for the rest of the season. In a dry year, growth may be required to accumulate sufficient roughage, whereas in an above rainfall year, the growth may be excessive.

Digitaria eriantha is susceptible to the rust Puccinia oahuensis which is a widespread disease found in America and Australia. This varies among genotypes. The most serious disease of D. eriantha is pangola stunt virus (PSV), a dwarfing disease which has seriously reduced the usefulness of the grass. There have been some genotypes that have demonstrated some resistance to this disease. This grass is attacked by white-backed plant hopper Sogatella furcifera. Symptoms of an infected grass are stunting, yellowing, reddening, twisting of leaves, swelling of small veins, and excessive tillering. There are insects and pests affecting Digitaria eriantha, they are as follows: spittlebugs (Tomaspis flavopicta, T. humeralis, Prosapia bicincta.), Rhodes grass mealy bug (Antonina graminis), chinch bug (Blissus leucopterus), sugar-cane aphid (Sipha flava), armyworms, root-knot nematodes and smut fungi. Normally it is the grass seedhead that will be infected and only under humid conditions.