Turf pros and cons

Hey all,

Just about to turf approx. 130sqm of lawn. Trying to decide which turf type to use.

At the moment thinking kikuyu out the front cos the neighbour has it and it looks great and sir Walter out the back as thats where the kids will be playing footy and will get more traffic.

What are people using? Pros and cons of each??

Cheers

Dan

 

This time last year I purchased buffalo from the local turf guy as I couldnt afford or believe the hype behind Sr Walter. After a few months, I was ready to turf the rest of the yard and bought Sr Walter as this is area gets a little less sun. The main lawn is good but the difference is amazing. I dont water the Sr Walter due to renos and it looks in better condition than the main lawn which gets watered regularly.Sr Walter is worth the few extra dollars.

 

I love our SW Buffalo,
Everyone who comes over seems to want to take shoes off & walk around barefoot.
Only Con is its ropey runners, which will invade garden beds if you let it go & don't keep on top of it.
But thats a small price to pay imo.

 

SW Buffalo - everyone thinks my lawn is fake it looks that perfect.

Admittedly i do cut it weekly and feed 4 times a year.

 

I know this will probably be met with distain by some but why not just spread topsoil and lawnseed and water well for a few weeks? Ive done this multiple times and always happy with the outcome. Should mention I am quite stingy!

Only reason I would buy turf was if I needed lawn in real hurry.

 

Turf is great for keeping weeds down.

I have a 20 square metre patch of Sir Walter that I laid a year ago as an experiment.

Looks great.

Only problem is that it is so thick that the mower sinks in and I can only use the highest blade setting and it still cuts a bit low due to the sinking. It is also really hard to push the mower through the grass.

 

Thinking about this myself. A lot easier on the spine than lifting turf too.

 

What sort of turf does well in Canberra? The weather can be brutally hot, brutally cold and brutally dry. Would love plush grass in the back yard for my little son to run on.

We have some grass out there but until recently we had crushed clay driveways and the back yard is riddled with pebbles and rocks. The grass also looks better from a distance and is a bit patchy up close. We want rip the lot up and put down fresh soil and grass.

The back yard has already been dug up once last year to replace pipes so grass grows quite well back there as we didn’t re-lay, seed or anything and it came back but I don’t think we have the right species. It dies badly over the winter and is also quite weedy...

Any suggestions? Thx

 

An alternative to seeding is get a few pieces of kikuya type turf, shred them, spread over the area, then topsoil. The full cover will then develop from the runners.

That is the way that many councils develop their sports ovals as it's a lot cheaper than turf.

 

Here is a great table that compares Sir Walter to kikuyu:
https://cobbittyturf.com.au/buy-turf-sydney/

Hope this helps!

 

Have SWB and :

- Dogs arent great on it. Some are prone to allergic reactions. Some people too I'm told but I havet noticed.
- Dont mow it real low. It really hates that. Hard to regrow when surface is hacked.
- Dont allow it to over thicken. It will still look fair but will allow mower to bog in ruts and hack the surface. Like a heavy sponge. If its too thick progressively mow it down. Sign of too thick is hard to push mower through dry grass. It never looks too long.
- Surprising fine mulch in catcher.
- It chokes weeds out well when maintained
- Small fertiliser 3-4 times a year. Use buffalo suitable fertiliser. Like a deep green carpet even in 40degree days. Neighbours will ask what it is.
- Maintain water when dry - Doesnt need a lot.
- Great in shade
- If laid beside another grass it will grow through it. My neighbour liked that.

Shop around. Some places charge like its gold plated and others dont. Landscape suppliers I used in NW Sydney (Turtle) were able to do a deal on 2 day old excess turf for a commercial job and it looked good and was moist and saved me 50%.

 

Keep it! Work with it and rejuvenate it.
Unless it’s quite old and the root system is hard to repair.

 

I find the best grasses on the market are Sir Walter Buffalo for those who prefer a broader grass, and Tiftuf for those who prefer a finer lawn. Both will tolerate full sun to lower light levels, both have a good resistance to lawn grubs and both use far less water than your average grass of yesteryear. For those looking for a good lawn at more cost effective price then may Nullarbor could be worth considering

 

Well I went with Empire Zoysia and paid someone to lay it about 9 months ago. Doesn’t need much water, seems to like the sandy soil and salt air and thriving in sun and shade.

 

Whats the best all round Turf for the Perth climate. i.e One that starys reasonably green in winter, and can take a bit of shade and that chokes out the weeds.
I heard that you are really only paying for the brand name for SirWalter but these posts above say otherwise. Sir Walter vs Palmetto mowing and maintenance

 

Bunnings have their turf half price on the day before the new delivery gets there if there is any left. I just happened to get my SWB on a half price day a year back and it's fine.

I prefer some of the finer grasses underfoot over buffalo. In my experience it doesn't require much love, is hard wearing and is good in sun and shade throughout the year.

 

They are both good products for their use. There is a product in NSW called ShadeMaster, which isn't too bad for shady areas. Not sure, if it's available in Perth.
The shade issue is a tricky one, if it's under trees. Not a lot of turf species grow under trees, long term these can be just too difficult to manage to keep them looking nice.
The general rule with turf though, for weed suppression and keeping green is mainly lawn height, you need to keep it higher rather than cutting it very low or scalping it.
Turf / Lawns need to grow well with good management to give you back the results. It may mean you need to cut it more often, but the long term health and look of the lawn will return you more in spades.

 

as much as dispose the Sir connotation it is hard to beat for overall value and quality

 

New quaity turf is a very inexpensive way to lift a property and give years of benefits.

Sir Walter can have some issues. It thickens easily and can be hard to cut with electric mowers if not maintained with a regular trim. It can grow like maltese back hair. It doesnt tolerate drought well as it needs some water. It is also highly allergic for many pets. If you want a lawn you can ignore SW is not good. But its easily maintained but not cut too low !! And with some water and fertiliser it will have your neigbours asking why

Speak to a landscape supplier. Pics of the area will help them.