How to treat new Sir Walter Buffalo Turf going brown?

Marcusdib

Hi everyone

Purchased Sir Walter Turf from a store on Friday and laid it on Saturday. When laying the turf some of the strips appeared darker than the rest.

Now that a few days have passed they appear to be getting browner in comparison to the rest of the lawn which appears to be doing well.

I’ve been watering regularly, just wondering if there is any booster or other product that can be used to help the strips which aren’t doing as well as the others (see in photo). Also, should those strips be watered more?

Thank you

EricL

Hello @Marcusdib

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

From the photos you've shared, it actually looks like your lawn is settling in quite normally for newly laid Sir Walter Buffalo turf. When turf is harvested, rolled up, transported, and then re-laid, it goes through a fair amount of stress. It’s quite common for some rolls to look slightly different in colour, especially if a few pieces were cut earlier, sat a bit longer on the pallet, or dried slightly before being laid. Those strips often appear darker or browner for a short period while the turf recovers and starts to establish new roots into the soil. In most cases the colour evens out over the next few weeks as the lawn settles and begins actively growing again.

Because your turf was only laid a few days ago, the most important thing right now is consistent watering rather than trying to correct the colour immediately. Newly laid buffalo turf needs plenty of moisture while the roots knit into the soil underneath. Keeping the turf and the soil beneath it moist for the first 10–14 days is ideal, as this helps the roots establish properly and prevents the rolls from drying out. If some pieces were slightly drier than others when laid, they may temporarily brown off a little before recovering once the roots start growing into the soil.

If you would like to give the lawn a gentle boost without stressing it, a liquid seaweed treatment can help reduce transplant stress and encourage root growth. Products such as Seasol 1.2L Hose On Lawn Care or Garden Basics 2L Seaweed Liquid Concentrate are both commonly available at the store and safe to use on buffalo lawns. Seaweed products don’t act as a strong fertiliser, but they help stimulate root development and help the lawn cope with stress while it establishes. Applying one light treatment while the turf is settling can be beneficial.

For now, I wouldn’t water the brown strips separately or more heavily than the rest of the lawn. It’s better to water the whole area evenly so the soil stays consistently moist underneath all the rolls. Uneven watering can sometimes make the patchiness more noticeable. Over the next week or two, you should start to see the colour gradually blend together as the roots establish and new growth begins.

Overall, your lawn already looks like it’s off to a good start. Patchy colour in the first week is very common with fresh turf, and Sir Walter is quite resilient once it begins rooting in properly. With consistent watering and a little patience over the next couple of weeks, those strips will often green up and settle in with the rest of the lawn.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric