Which Lawn

[2msy]

Hi All,

I am thinking about relaying some lawn in my yard, and want some advise on what the best lawn would be.

Part of this yard during spring/summer recieves about 70-80% sun light, but during winter it virtually does not recieve and light. The other part of the yard recieves substantial sun light all year round.

The other issue I have is the dog... during the winter months she is in this section of the yard, but during summer i move her to another fenced area. This way i allow the lawn to "recover" from her urine burn marks.

Currently the lawn is couch, but am thinking that it is not hardy enough to handle the lack of sun, or the dog.

Would buffalo be the best lawn to lay, or something else.

Appreciate any assistance

[Steve]

Hi 2msy,

Unless you can get rid of the shade from pruning trees or bushes... the Couch will have to go, there's just no way it's going to survive or thrive in shaded areas.

Buffalo is far better in the shade due to it's broad leaf which can absorb far more light in shady areas which is required for photosynthesis / food production. So with this in mind, any broad leaf grass will be far superior to Couch in shade, which can often include varieties such as Kikuyu.

Mowing high in shady areas also leaves more green leaf which can in turn create more photosynthesis to keep the lawn healthy.

Not all Buffaloes are equal though, some varieties have a narrower leaf so they won't necessarily tolerate the shade as well as something like Sir Walter or Palmetto.

Just be aware that Buffaloes don't grow as fast as Couch either, so repair from dog damage will be a little slower.

Hope that helps... any other questions, feel free to ask.

[2msy]

Steve,
Thanks for your reply. Appreciate your advise. Unfortuantly unable to remove what causes the shaded area in winter (the house).
Have devided to go down the Palmetto path, and will see how it goes - intend to do this in Sept/Oct

A subsequent question - what is your thought of laying turf ontop of exisiting turf (Buffalo over couch) with a 2 inch dressing between the layers?

[Steve]

Hi 2msy,

Those darn houses are always getting in the way of a good lawn aren't they LOL

Of course you could lay the Palmetto on top of the Couch, but I'd be more inclined to poison the Couch off first, mainly because it's such a weedy and resilient grass that unless it's dealt with now, it's going to haunting you for a while. Mainly growing amongst your Buffalo and invading garden beds.

If you choose to poison the Couch, buy Glyphosate in a concentrated form and mix it up in a $15 Sprayer from Big W or Bunnings - double up the dosage and spray the lawn - check back on it in 2 weeks and re-spray any surviving Runners.

Just be careful with the Glyphosate - it will KILL any plant it comes into contact with.

You also may like to make sure that any underlying issues with soil drainage are sorted out prior to laying the new turf.

It costs a bit more and I generally can't get my own customers to go for it, but I always like to put down a new soil bed before I lay new turf, apart from the freshly aerated quality soil the lawn has for setting down roots, it's a great chance to get a lovely EVEN surface for the new lawn. So your plans are good!

Good luck with it all

[2msy]

Once again thanks for your advice Steve.

If only I could get rid of the neighbours house and the dog (wifey isnt too keen on the suggestion regarding the dog.. not too fussed about the idea regarding the neigbour though!!) lol

[Nigel Ruck]

Once again thanks for your advice Steve.

If only I could get rid of the neighbours house and the dog (wifey isnt too keen on the suggestion regarding the dog.. not too fussed about the idea regarding the neigbour though!!) lol

The other issue I have is the dog... during the winter months she is in this section of the yard, but during summer i move her to another fenced area. This way i allow the lawn to "recover" from her urine burn marks.

Hey 2msy

You can deal with the urine burn situation without getting rid of the dog, lol!
http://thelawnguide.com.au/lawn-repair/ ... -dogs.html