Soft Leaf Buffalo Grass

Once upon a time, Buffalo lawn was widely used and most lovingly referred to as Ol' Scratchy, due to its coarse and sharp leaf blades. These days, times have changed dramatically for the better.

Buffaloes sold today are Soft Leaf Buffalo Varieties, most of us know them by their trade names of Sir Walter or Palmetto, Shademaster, ST Varieties and more. These new lawn varieties are a vast improvement over the days of old, the grass is soft, able to withstand wear and tear, has great shade tolerance, has low invasive properties as opposed to species such as Couch Grass, and can be one of the best all round choices for Australian homes today.

Soft leaf buffaloes respond well to sandy, lightly salty, or alkaline soils, thrives in full sun as well being one of the best choices for partial shade tolerance, requiring only regular lawn care practices.

Buffalo lawn is a warm season grass which has aboveground runners (stolons), but has no underground runner (rhyzomes). Its worthwhile to note that some of the new Soft Leaf Buffaloes require less water than other turf types such as Couch and Kikuyu, and far less water than Cool Season grasses.

Lawn Mowing Buffalo

Lawn mowing heights for Buffalo should be higher than for other turf varieties, typically a height of 30 - 65 mm is desirable to maintain a healthy buffalo lawn. Mowing heights can be safely increased in shaded areas to ensure a longer leaf blade which can absorb more sunlight and stay healthy in environments of diminished light.

Soft leaf buffalo lawn responds well to mowing with either a cylinder or rotary mower with good results expected from each.

Sir Walter - Palmetto - Shademaster - Sapphire - What's the difference?

There are many names for the new soft leaf buffalo varieties which can lead to confusion for homeowners as to the benefits or differences between each, and which one may be the right choice for them.

While all buffalo grasses belong to the same family and are in essence the same grass, each name simply signifies a slight difference in the breeding which has occurred. The difference in names is defining a "cultivar" of Buffalo, each slightly different than the other.

Names such as S26 or S100 signify the cultivar, while names such as Sir Walter or Palmetto are a brand name for the cultivar. Most cultivars are trademarked to various trademark owners.

While soft leaf buffaloes can all look extremely similar, each has strengths and weaknesses which can differentiate them from each other quite substantially in performance and appearance.

For more information on different Buffalo grasses, see the links at the bottom of this article.

Warning:

Any application of weed killers, especially those meant for Broad Leaf Weeds, may damage or kill Buffalo Grass. This is because the same principle that works to selectively attach the poison to the broad leaf of some weeds, acts in the same manner with the broad leaf blades of Buffalo Grass. This is also true for most forms of Weed and Feed type poisons.

Herbicides containing the active ingredients of Bromoxyl or MCPA are generally considered safe for Buffalo grass. Whereas herbicides containing Dicamba should always be avoided for use on Buffalo lawns. If in doubt, always check the label for safe use on Buffalo grass.

If in any doubt, test your poison in a small inconspicuous area two weeks prior to any other application. Alternatively, hire a professional Weed Sprayer who is licensed and guarantees all lawn care work, it's well worth it.

Also see these related Buffalo grass articles:
Sir Walter Buffalo Grass
Palmetto Buffalo Grass
Palmetto versus Sir Walter
Sapphire versus Sir Walter
Sapphire Buffalo Grass
Microscopic Photos of Buffalo Grass