Lawn Care

Management Tips

• Don’t over fertilise it or you will make it too vigorous and create unnecessary mowing.
• It grows exceptionally well in both sun and shade and will out compete the acknowledged shade grass Durban Grass in heavily shaded mown situations.
• Keep your mowing height low to prevent thatch build up which is so characteristic of other buffalos. If in doing this your lawn scalps in places, then you need to top dress around the scalped area with sand to make the lawn smoother.
• It is very important if laying a new lawn to get the surface soil firm enough to walk on without leaving foot prints before you lay the grass. It is important to take out any bumps and low spots with a long straight edge (a dummy rake) or a wide level.
• When laying grass in a shady situation, especially under a tree it is sometimes better to leave 0.5m circle around the tree and let the grass runners grow into the unturfed area. This will give them a better comfort zone than trying to establish new roots from turf if it is not getting enough light.
• Remember that if grass is under a tree it needs more fertilise and water than if it is in the open because it is competing with the tree roots for both water and nutrients.
• It pays to decompact heavily trafficked areas about once a year to help the roots survive.
• Thatch development is greatest when varieties are very upright in growth, have very short internodes and high lateral branching. Management practices such as excessive fertiliser, mowing too high and mowing infrequently increase thatch accumulation.