I remember my neighbor was struggling to get his couch grass lawn to come back to life after it had gone patchy after a long unusual autumn for an overcast period. He had done everything right, but his lawn had gone patchy. The real problem was that his tree canopy had grown unexpectedly and suddenly his whole backyard looked like a scene from a crime drama. I suppose that really is the problem with couch grass â the wrong type of grass for most backyards.
While Buffalo turf does have a few draw backs, the main advantage is that it does not have the same sort of problems that Couch grass has. This means that the reputation of Buffalo turf to grow well in the shade of trees is not a marketing ploy but rather the result of real world experience with Australian gardens that have too much shade and not enough rain.
The shade thing is real
It can be very hard to get a lawn to look great in a yard with lots of trees and lots of shade. Most backyards have lots of trees and lots of shade. Yes, some yards have full sun but lots donât. In fact, most gardens have what we call âlayeredâ or âdappledâ shade. This is where there are lots of overhead trees creating lots of patches of light and shade. And to top it off, the shade can move around as the trees grow.
Itâs really good in the shade. All of the varieties of warm season turf are slowly being developed to perform better in low light situations, but so far buffalo is the strongest. I have been really impressed with how hard the breeders have worked to get warm season turf to perform better in low light. It is not an easy thing to do. Buffalo not only tolerates shade but it also looks great in it. It stays nice and green and it is very dense. Families with backyards that have lots of trees and therefore lots of shade will love buffalo turf.
(And yes, it is quite satisfying for a grass to be so stubbornly unwilling to fail.)
It’s softer than you’d think
When you compare Buffalo turf to other varieties of grass, the first thing you will notice is the broad, soft leaf blades. Yes, Buffalo turf is tough enough to handle the shade of trees and drought but this does not mean that it is a hard, unyielding surface. Kids can play on Buffalo turf without getting bruised and dogs can run around on it without getting injured. The soft leaf blades of Buffalo turf are a feature that many people do not even know about.
The leaves of the Sir Walter Buffalo Grass are broad with thick soft leaves. The leaves are as soft as a good quality wool rug. Therefore kids can play on Buffalo Grass without getting cut or bruising their knees. This makes Buffalo Grass ideal for families with children or for families with pets. The soft leaves of the Buffalo Grass make it very comfortable to walk on.
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What about maintenance?
If you have already been researching different turf varieties then hopefully this will be a useful comparison to help make a decision (as no table can fully explain the way that different grasses behave on different soils in different climates).
- Mowing frequency is lower than couch or kikuyu, especially in cooler months
- It recovers well after wear, so you’re not reseeding bare patches every spring
- Drought tolerance is solid, which matters when water restrictions hit
- Fertilising once or twice a year is usually enough to keep it looking good
While Buffalo does need to be dethatched from time to time (every few years), once this has been done the lawn will return to normal and not feel spongy under foot as it can when thatch has built up too much. This is a maintenance that is required with Buffalo Turf but it is by no means a deal breaker for this fantastic variety of turf.
Comparing your options
Comparison of Buffalo Lawn with Other Turf Types for Residential Use of Backyard of House in Australia.
| Grass type | Shade tolerance | Softness underfoot | Drought resistance | Maintenance level |
| Buffalo (Sir Walter) | High | Soft, broad leaf | Good | Low to medium |
| Couch | Low | Fine, firm | Very good | High |
| Kikuyu | Low | Coarse | Good | High (fast growing) |
| Zoysia | Medium | Medium | Very good | Low |
Buffalo grass is not suitable for every yard or situation. If you have a number of sports that are played on your yard, Couch turf is the better option. Very sunny yards, extremely short mown areas, and yards with very high use are better suited to Couch as well. However for the average family home with varying amounts of sunlight and different amounts of foot traffic throughout the year, Buffalo grass is by far the better option.
Why Sir Walter specifically keeps coming up
There are several varieties of buffalo turf that are available to purchase and install in gardens and landscapes around Australia. Of all the varieties available on the market today, Sir Walter Buffalo is the most popular turf variety in Australia, with the majority of landscapers around the country using this high quality turf for their residential landscaping projects. The reasons for this are many, but most importantly, it works really well for homeowners. The Sir Walter Buffalo turf variety maintains an excellent color all year round, including throughout winter, making it one of the best varieties of turf to install in a number of different climates. It is also able to grow well in a number of different soils, which makes it an ideal choice for homeowners who are unsure of the type of soil that they have in their garden or landscape. If you are interested in purchasing a high quality piece of Sir Walter Buffalo Turf for your garden or landscape, you can begin searching for local suppliers by searching for âSir Walter Buffalo Turf Near Meâ or âQuality Buffalo Turf For Sale Near Meâ at BETTATURF.com.
To recap â Buffalo Turf is the best looking lawn around. They have a full thickness, deep green color and a soft, spongy texture. In fact they look so good that people will often stop and ask what you have done to create such a wonderful looking lawn. And, in most cases, they will be none the wiser as to how you achieved such wonderful results.
So, is it actually worth it?
The above reasons make buffalo turf worth installing in your yard. As it solves problems of many Australian backyards such as trees or other structures creating unexpected shades, kids and pets treating the lawn like a demolition area, long dry summers etc. It is a very practical solution for a yard and looks great as well.
Back to neighbors and re-laying the lawn with Sir Walter Buffalo turf â three years on and it still looks great and hasnât had a bad season. It all starts with the right grass.
