How to revive patchy Buffalo lawn?

[LinL]

My buffalo lawn is not doing well. I’ve neglected it. Lots of bare and dry spots. Areas under shade is doing better. Wondering if it can be revived with lots of love and care or should I start again and returf my lawn? If I can revive it, please let me know what to do. There’s some weeds and there’s a patch of a different type of grass growing in some spots, one with a finer leaf. Thanks

Fine leaf grass

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @hajayne. It's wonderful to have you join us and many thanks for your question on restoring a lawn.

You’re pretty much right on the money there. Aerating the lawn first is a great idea. It’ll help relieve compaction and improve water and nutrient penetration. After that, applying a quality topdressing and underlay mix will help level out the surface and provide fresh material for the grass to grow through.

For the bare patches, you can either reseed or re-turf, depending on how quickly you’d like to see results. Re-turfing will give you instant coverage, while reseeding will take a bit longer but is more cost-effective. Here are a couple of helpful guides: How to grow grass from seed and How to lay turf.

Manual aerators work perfectly well for smaller lawns like yours. If the area isn’t too large, you’ll get good results using a manual corer or even a garden fork to open up the soil. Mechanical aerators are really only worth considering for much bigger areas.

With some consistent watering after topdressing and feeding, your Sir Walter should bounce back beautifully. It sounds like you’re on the right track.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[hajayne]

Hi Mitchell! Thanks for replying!

when laying new turf, I would need to dig out to remove underlaying dirt to keep level and grow in?

Also, patches in these photos attached, do you think these are from dryness or grubs?

   

These are in area where dogs don’t access. 

[EricL]

Hello @hajayne 

I recommend having a look at this guide in regards to patching and laying new turf - How to repair a lawn by @Adam_W. An effective way to find out if you have grubs is to lift a little bit of the soil with a shovel and look underneath. You can tell if grubs are eating your lawn roots by looking for signs like brown, spongy patches, increased bird activity, and the ability to easily peel up the turf. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[stevieG1]

 

 

My fairly new buffalo grass seems to be dying off in a couple of sections. This appears to be slowly moving down to other parts which are currently green.

i have been watering these brown areas every couple of days ands it still looks the same with a few minor green bits.

i have recently sprayed it with a soil moisture product to see if that changes anything? Nothing so far however.

 Does anyone know if this is a disease in the grass or how to resolve this trouble section of my lawn? Any suggestion greatly appreciate.

 Cheers,

 Steve

[EricL]

Hello @stevieG1 

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

It looks like your buffalo grass is suffering from a localized issue, and the brown, dying section spreading slowly suggests there may be more than one contributing factor. Let’s look at what might be happening and how you can bring it back.

Possible Causes

The most common reason for patches like this in new buffalo lawns is root stress caused by poor drainage or compaction. Since the affected area sits next to pavers and a wall, the soil there may be holding too much moisture or heating up more quickly, leading to root rot or fungal activity. 

Another possibility is that the area is getting oversaturated, watering every couple of days can sometimes worsen fungal issues rather than help, particularly if the soil isn’t draining well. Buffalo grass can also suffer from fungal diseases like brown patch, which often starts in small yellow or brown patches and spreads outward. Sometimes, these areas also correspond to spots where lawn grubs (such as African black beetles) have damaged roots.

What to Check
 

First, test the soil moisture by pushing a screwdriver or moisture probe into the ground after watering. If it’s hard to push in, the soil might be compacted. If it feels wet even several days after watering, drainage could be the problem. Gently tug on some of the brown grass, if it lifts easily, grubs may have eaten the roots. Also, check for any visible white larvae just beneath the surface.

Suggested Steps to Fix It
 

Reduce watering frequency to only when the soil has dried about an inch below the surface. If compaction seems likely, aerate the area with a garden fork to allow air and water to penetrate. Apply a lawn fungicide labelled safe for buffalo grass if you suspect brown patch, following the directions carefully. 

For grubs, use a lawn grub treatment that targets beetle larvae. Once the issue is under control, lightly topdress the area with organic compost to encourage new root growth and keep an eye out for regrowth over two to three weeks.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[stevieG1]

Thanks very much for that info Eric.

I will give those a try and let you know how I go.

 Thanks again.

 Cheers,

 Steve

[BlakeD]

Hey mate!

I’ve top dressed, now when should I use the fertiliser? 

[JacobZ]

Hi @BlakeD,

Now would be a perfect time to fertilise. With the warm weather, fresh topsoil and readily available nutrients, you'll just have to add water, and you'll be well on the way to a perfect lawn.

Check out How To Use Lawn Fertiliser for some further guidance.

Jacob