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Hi
after we returned from our holidays, we found our front lawn dried up. It wasn’t this bad when it was mowed 2 weeks ago. And was healthy when we went on holidays 6 weeks ago.
Any suggestions how to get it back healthy?
Hi All
I am looking for guidance on 2 things related to my lawn.
1) As can be seen from the image, my lawn is thickness/green patches are uneven. What should I do to fix this? How often should I do it? How long will it take for the results to show up?
2) There is a section of lawn which despite all efforts (and thanks to all the advice and guidance from here) I’ve not been able to regenerate. I’m thinking for re-laying it as a DIY project . Any guidance on how I should go about? My lawn is buffalo. Attached is the section I’m referring in to.
Thanks in advance
Hi @hisumesh,
From the first photo, your lawn actually looks reasonably healthy overall. Buffalo naturally shows some lighter and thinner patches, especially through warmer weather or after periods of uneven watering. The best thing you can do here is apply a good quality buffalo safe lawn fertiliser and keep the water up to it through summer. With consistent watering and feeding, you should start to see the colour even out and the lawn thicken over the next four to six weeks. Regular mowing, without taking too much height off at once, will also help it spread and fill in over time.
Looking at the second section, I agree with you that it doesn’t look like it’s going to regenerate well on its own. You’ve clearly had some success there, but if it has stalled despite watering and care, re-laying that patch is a sensible option. Before laying new buffalo turf, remove the existing grass and roots completely and take the time to check why it struggled in the first place. Often it comes down to compacted soil, poor soil quality, or inconsistent moisture in that spot. Improving the base will make a big difference to the outcome.
I’d recommend loosening the soil, removing any debris, and adding a layer of good quality topsoil to give the new turf the best chance. Once laid, water it thoroughly and keep it consistently moist while it establishes. Buffalo usually takes a few weeks to properly knit into the soil, and after that you should see it start to blend in with the rest of the lawn. If you stick with it, you’re definitely on the right track and the lawn should come together nicely.
Here's a helpful guide: How to lay turf.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
Hi @MitchellMc
Thank you very much for the response and guidance.
Will work on the relaying the lawn. Given I will be doing this myself and doing it for the first time, I was thinking of doing it in parts (say a quarter section to begin with before proceeding further). This is to see how I go and learn mistakes early and inexpensively 
Let me know if there are any downsides to this approach.
also any recommendations as to when I should try to complete the relaying? Should I aim to complete this before summer gets over?
It really depends on the weather conditions in your location, @hisumesh. It's typically best to lay turf at the end of Spring, when the weather hasn't heated up yet. In summer, it can be hard to keep grass alive, especially on those extreme heat days. Doing it in sections is OK, but you might find the joins take a while to blend together.
Mitchell
