Is my Buffalo lawn dormant or dead?

mellawn

Hi I need help. Is my lawn dead or dormant? It is buffalo and we are located in Melbourne by the ocean so lots of wind and cold.

it was freshly laid around 6 weeks ago and was going good… when I pull on the grass it is tough. These photos were taken at night. What can help it ?  Or do I need to rip it up and start again . I need it looking good for September 

EricL

Hello @mellawn 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your lawn.

Thanks for the photo and details, this gives a good sense of what’s happening. Based on what you’ve described and what I can see, your Buffalo lawn is likely dormant, not dead, which is good news.

In Melbourne, especially near the coast, the combination of cold winter temperatures, constant wind, and limited sunlight in shaded areas (like alongside fences) can cause Buffalo grass to go dormant. This is especially true for freshly laid turf. Six weeks isn’t a long time for it to fully establish, so it’s more vulnerable right now. The key positive indicator here is that the grass is tough to pull up this suggests the root system is taking hold, even if the top growth looks dry and patchy.

There’s no need to rip it up and start again. With spring warmth, sunlight, and the right care, your Buffalo lawn can bounce back by September, just in time. Even in winter, the wind can dry out new turf, so make sure it’s getting deep water once or twice a week if there’s been no decent rainfall. The soil should stay damp, but not soggy. You can apply a lawn tonic such as Seasol to help stimulate root growth and improve resilience without pushing unnecessary leaf growth during dormancy. Avoid nitrogen-heavy fertilisers right now.

If possible, try to reduce the wind exposure with a temporary windbreak, such as shade cloth or screens along the fence line. Let the grass rest over winter and avoid mowing it until spring. Once new green shoots appear in early September, give it a light mow and follow up with a slow-release spring lawn feed. If the lawn surface is uneven or has minor gaps, a light topdressing with 1 to 2 centimetres of washed sand or sandy loam in late August can help level it out and encourage spreading.

If by mid-September no green shoots emerge and the grass pulls up easily, that may indicate it didn’t establish properly. But for now, your lawn appears to be going through normal seasonal dormancy, and it’s doing exactly what Buffalo grass does in cold weather conserving energy until conditions improve.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric