2. What size are the rolls of turf? 3. How long will the grass keep before it needs to be laid? 4. How do I calculate how many m² of turf I need? 5. What type of soil should I use?
7. How do I prepare the ground when laying on clay? 8. How much soil should I use? 9. How many m² will fit into a box trailer? 10. How many rolls of turf make up a pallet? 11. How many pallets will fit on a truck? 12. What is Shademaster Buffalo? 13. Which soft leaf buffalos originate overseas? 14. What are the advantages of Sir Walter compared with other soft leaf buffalos? 15. Will Sir Walter grow in the shade? 16. How can I be sure that I’m getting Sir Walter? 17. When should I fertilise my lawn? 18. What type of fertiliser should I use? 19. How and when to water my lawn? 20. When can I mow my newly laid lawn? 21. What height should I mow my Sir Walter lawn? 22. How do I control weeds in my Sir Walter lawn? 23. Can or should I top-dress my lawn? 24. Can I apply an insecticide to my Sir Walter lawn? 25. Can I purchase Sir Walter in cell trays from large hardware chain stores? 26. Can Buffalo be grown from seed? 27. What can I put on my lawn to treat Army Worms, Crickets or Black Beetles? 28. What is the best grass around a pool? 29. What is the best grass in the shade? 30. What about shade from Buildings? 32. How do I correct my soil pH? Where did Sir Walter originate? Sir Walter was developed in the Hunter Valley in N.S.W. by Buchanan Turf Supplies. What size are the rolls of turf? 1 ROLL = 1m² How long will the grass keep before it needs to be laid? In the cooler months the grass will keep for 4-5 days and in the hotter months only 1-2 days. Place it in the shade in summer. How do I calculate how many m² of turf I need?
Times two sides together i.e.: 18m x 7m = 126m². For irregular sites divide up into smaller squares/or triangles, calculate each individual area then add them together. NB: The area of a triangle is the base x height divided by 2, and the area of a circle is 3.14 x radius x radius. Use the calculator on our Preparation Page. What type of soil should I use?
We recommend a 60:40, Sand: Soil mix which can be purchased from your local Soil or Nursery Supplier but any type of soil from a sandy loam to a heavier dark Soil can be used provided there is good drainage. Good soil may already exist on site, which may only require weed removal and sometimes the addition of some sandy topsoil to assist in leveling. Yes we have all seen buffalo growing wild at the beach. It is better to put an organic fertiliser such as fowl manure, mushroom compost or Dynamic Lifter down first before laying the turf. This is best incorporated into the soil to a depth of 2-4” (50-100mm) and will help to hold the moisture for the turf. How do I prepare the ground when laying on clay? Apply Gypsum, which is a clay breaker down first and incorporate it well with a Rotary Hoe. 2" (50mm) is okay, but 4" (100mm)
of soil is better. The root system of Sir Walter will penetrate
the soil to a depth of about 2 ft (600mm) in good soil with deep
irrigation. The deeper the soil, the deeper the roots will penetrate
and the more drought tolerant the turf will become. How many m² will fit into a box trailer? About 30m² of Sir Walter Buffalo will
fit into a small trailer. (6 x 4ft.) How many rolls of turf make up a pallet? Usually 55-60 rolls of Sir Walter will fit
on a standard pallet. How many pallets will fit on a truck? A table top truck 2.40m wide and 7.0m long
will hold 10 pallets. Shademaster originated in the Hunter Valley of N.S.W. in the mid 1980s, it was the first soft leaf buffalo available. It was then grown in the Sydney area from the early 1990s. However, because of its purple discoloration in winter, other soft leaf Buffalos were developed including Sir Walter which stay greener than Shademaster in Winter.
Which soft leaf buffalos originate overseas? ST-85, ST-91, Austine (ST-26) and Palmetto originate from America. Sir Walter was born and bred in Australia and is best suited to our Australian conditions. What are the advantages of Sir Walter compared with other soft leaf buffalos?
Will Sir Walter grow in the shade? No turf will grow in complete shade. However, Sir Walter will grow in shady areas better than any other buffalo grass that we have trialed including Shademaster soft leaf buffalo. Generally 3 hours of direct sunlight or 4 hours of filtered light are required per day. Shade from Trees: The turf will require additional fertilizer and water to compete with the tree. Shade from Buildings: Sometimes these areas are damp and require extra drainage with sub surface 'ag' pipes. How can I be sure I'm getting Sir Walter?
With a lot of substituting of inferior turf for Sir Walter in the industry, only deal with a licenced grower or nursery. Atlas Turf (License No. 201) will supply you with an invoice stating that your purchase is Sir Walter and supply a Certificate of Authenticity. Do not purchase Sir Walter from a supplier
who won't supply the correct invoice and certificate. When should I fertilise my lawn?
Fertilize prior to laying and again two weeks after installing, then every eight weeks for the first twelve months. Once established, apply fertiliser early spring, early summer and mid autumn. The autumn fertilising is essential for the lawn to stay greener through winter. What type of fertiliser should I use?
Correct fertiliser recommendations vary depending on climate, region and soil type. Generally a slow released balanced NPK lawn food is best, such as Premium Buffalo Blend that is available from most Sir Walter suppliers. The cost of 10kg of Premium Buffalo Blend is $35.00. This quantity will treat up to 400 m² of lawn area, or contact your local nursery for their recommended equivalent. Dynamic Lifter, Shirleys No. 17 etc. are suitable. How and when to water my Lawn? Newly transplanted turf requires extra care (especially water) for the first few weeks. Turf must be kept moist, (but not drowned all day) until the roots have taken. During hot daylight hours the leaf should not be allowed to dry out and edge areas near concrete or brick borders will suffer the most. Curling and a grey colour of the leaf will tell you when the turf has dried out. New turf should be saturated immediately after laying. Test for soil moisture with a 4” (100mm) probe e.g. screwdriver. The ground should be moist to this level. If hot and/or windy, extra watering will be required and each site will have different water requirements depending on soil type, drainage etc.
A good way to estimate how much irrigation has been applied is to place an empty container under the spray area of the sprinkler. When 20mm of water has been collected in the container, move the sprinkler to the next position. After 30 minutes, check to see how deep the water has infiltrated into the soil and reapply irrigation until the 100mm depth has been achieved. Once the turf has taken root (7-10 days in summer, 10-14 days in winter), watering can be decreased to a level that will depend on the climatic conditions. As a guide, when conditions are dry, the lawn should require 2-3 deep waterings in summer per week, or 1 per week in winter, until the full establishment of a deep root system (approx. 12 months). Once fully established, one deep watering per week is usually sufficient except in extreme conditions. It is also possible to over water the turf during establishment especially in the cooler months. If you notice that the turf has turned a yellow colour in winter during establishment, this may well indicate that too much water (drowning) of the turf is taking place. Do not make the turf so wet during winter establishment that it is squishy underfoot every day.
When can I mow my newly laid lawn? The first mowing should not be done until the roots have taken and the turf is not easily lifted. The first mowing should only be a light trim, and never take more than a third of the leaf off in any single mowing. What height should I mow my Sir Walter lawn? Sir Walter can be mown at various heights ranging from 15mm to 50mm, however correct height can depend on personal preference and climatic conditions. Mow higher in shady areas. It is recommended to raise your mowing height prior to winter. Generally, a longer leaf will encourage a deeper root system, which is preferred to encourage drought tolerance.
How do I control weeds in my Sir Walter lawn?
Prevention is always better than cure. If a Sir Walter lawn is kept in a healthy and well fertilised condition, weed eradication is rarely necessary. If in the rare circumstance weed spray is required, we suggest that you first heavily fertilise when weeds are noticed, followed by at least two mowings in a three-week period. This will usually reduce the problem to a minimum. If spraying is still required, there are several herbicides that can be used. We suggest correct weed identification and spray advice be obtained from your local nursery or supplier. AVOID using any herbicides containing the ingredients
DSMA or MSMA.
Can or should I top-dress my lawn? Top dressing should only be required to correct any unevenness in ground preparation. It is better to prepare the ground well before laying the turf. If top dressing is required, it should only be done in late spring or early summer with a sandy loam or washed river sand and no more than 10mm should be applied per top dressing. The tips of the leaves should still be visible after top dressing. Can I apply an insecticide to my Sir Walter lawn? Yes you can. If insect damage occurs, apply any turf-registered insecticide (eg Baythroid) following the manufacturers instructions. A common insect that damages lawns is Lawn Army Worm or Sod-web worm. If a large population of white moths are noticed of an evening around your home, be prepared to spray in the coming weeks. Can I purchase Sir Walter in cell trays from large hardware chain stores? No you cannot. Buffalo grasses purchased in this manner tend to work out to be approximately 20 times the price compared with buying solid turf and planting it in a similar manner. Can Buffalo be grown from seed? Sir Walter is a male sterile plant; therefore does not produce a viable seed, Sir Walter can only be grown from vegetative material, eg turf or stolons. Sir Walter will produce a seed head, which has a light purple colour if under stress, usually from lack of water or fertiliser. What can I put on my lawn to treat Army Worms, Crickets or Black Beetles? Baythroid can be used, but it is best to contact your local nursery for further advice What is the best grass around a pool? Sir Walter is best around a pool because it is salt tolerant, greener in winter and soft to walk on. What is the best grass for the shade? No grass will grow in complete shade however we have found Sir Walter to perform the best in shaded areas if mown longer than normal prior to winter. Generally Sir Walter requires a minimum of 3 hours of direct sunlight or 4 hours of filtered sunlight per day. What about shade from Buildings? Shade from buildings may also mean that the turf is kept moist at all times which will often cause total turf degradation and encourage moss to grow. In some cases no turf is suitable in the shade and paving or gravel may be the logical choice of ground cover. Soil pH is the measure of the acid or alkaline levels of the soil and is divided on a scale between 1 and 14. Levels between 1 and 5 are said to be acidic and levels between 6 and 7 are neutral , and those between 8 and 14 are determined as alkaline. A neutral pH is optimum for most turf varieties. The pH is important as some nutrients are not available to the plant at certain levels, especially at low levels where the soil is determined to be acidic. The pH can be easily measured by purchasing a pH Test Kit from your local nursery. An acid soil pH can be adjusted by mixing lime into the soil and is best done with a Rotary Hoe. If the lawn is existing, agricultural lime (not brickies' lime!) can be applied to the surface and watered into the turf to correct an alkali soil pH. The result from applying lime is not instant and may take a number of years to change. Thatch is dead and decaying root or shoot
tissue which occurs at different rates on different varieties
of turf. Most couch varieties develop thatch to such a level
that dethatching is required to allow water and nutrients to
enter the soil and reach the rootzone. Dethatching machines can
be hired from most hire centres. |
