Buffalo grass - new lawn or runners?

We have a property that we purchased with a large lawn area - roughly 700m2.

The lawn has some buffalo grass, other grass varieties in some areas and patches of weeds. Is it better to start over and returf with new buffalo turf or has anybody been successful with introducing buffalo runners and smothering the weeds/growing out the other grass varieties?

 

Better to re-turf, unless you have a long time to wait for runners to take over (some years).

 

When we built in a new estate, our new build neighbor started his lawn with runners. I thought he was nuts. We lived there for 12 months, the last 6 of which he was collecting runners and slowly spreading them across his "lawn" as he gathered them. The place looked a tip.

I went to see him about a year or so after we moved out, perhaps 2 years from when he started plating runners.

I was gobsmacked. His lawn was like a bowling green. Lush and thick. It looked sensational.

I think he obsessed over it so not sure how many people would have the patience to do it.

 

I might post a couple of photos. There are large areas of buffalo grass and then patches of other grasses and weeds. My thoughts were it would be cheaper to remove these patches and replace with buffalo runners vs a new lawn.

 

I rolled out Buffalo in the front yard maybe 5 years ago?
My maths when measuring left a bit to be desired & I was left with approx 4 × 3 metres leftover.
My elderly Italian neighbour said lay it out the backyard in the lowest situated sunny spot.
Throw a watering can of water both on the existing patch but also just uphill from it everyday it doesn't rain.
Give it an equal 1/3 dose every 3 months of lawn builder/urea/miracle grow.
18-24 months later the backyard looked exactly like what I put into out the front.

To be honest, I think he was prouder than me with the end result !

 

Photos attached

 

Top dress and fertilise

 

I came across a good tip the other week, stop cutting your grass so short. I used to cut on the lowest mower height (shortest grass), and collect the clippings. The article I read said cut on the highest setting your mower has and don't put the grass collector on, leave the clippings to mulch on top of the lawn (just spoerad any "clumps"). My mowers high setting is ridiculously high, so I set it about 2/3rds and don't collect the grass anymore. My lawn is slowly going from a brown, scalped, patchy mess to a thick lush green that's lovely to walk on and that's without any fertilizer.

 

And a mulching lawnmower is even better!

 

@Joynz - that's cheating (but I haven’t looked back since I got one).

 

I just get roll on. Runners take too long.

 

How much should I be paying per square metre for buffalo supply and lay?

 

photo 1 and 3 just need some love and it will come good
photo 2 you may have trouble as it looks like its not getting enough sun in that area. do as per above

 

Depends on whether you do the prep work.

 

We are in a similar situation - trying to encourage buffalo to spread/thicken - but are starting off with a much worse situation than yours. We had some trees removed and the heavy machinery dug up the lawn terribly so we scraped flat the bad patches on the block (most of it except for some still-grassy patches around the edges) and started again.

So far the buffalo IS spreading, but it is going to take us a while to get our bowling green lawns back. I'd say give the fertiliser / weed & feed etc a go first, but being in Syd maybe your growing season is ending too soon.... not sure. Good luck! .

 

Looks like its getting shade from a tree in the pic but for how long each day.
Looks damp, maybe getting too much water or a low spot where the water is pooling, perhaps clay, or even a leaking retic/water pipe underneath, perhaps oil, someone may have cleaned their BBQ there or something.

Regardless I'd have a dig around, if no issues it needs to be loosened up anyway, could even get rid of some of it, replace it with some better stuff.

If its always shaded, perhaps a good spot for a garden bed.

The rest may need dethatching.