Buffalo vs. Kikuyu Grass – Which Is the Ultimate Winner?

Image Source: https://aviewturf.com.au/kikuyu-grass/

In any typical Australian lawn, you will find the most common turfs available in Australia, like Kikuyu and Buffalo. These are the two most prominent varieties in every property with a garden or a lawn. Both these types are popular for their distinctive features and characteristics. This factor hardens the selection process, but we have developed the blog post to guide you in choosing the right one based on your requirements.

COLOUR AND APPEARANCE – KIKUYU GRASS AND BUFFALO GRASS

In terms of overall appearance, these two grasses are completely different. One grass type has a light hue, while the next one boasts dark green colour, and this makes them two different sides of a spectrum. Eureka Kikuyu grass, in particular, offers the perfect sun-kissed look with its light shade. Sir Walter DNA-certified buffalo grass is another option known for its excellent colour retention properties.

DURABILITY FACTOR – BUFFALO Vs KIKUYU

Eureka Kikuyu grass is known to resist high traffic very easily due to its medium coarse leaf. Also, it is highly resistant to all kinds of wear and tear experienced after children and pets have spent hours playing on it. Kikuyu grass is known as a stable turf due to its reliability and strength.

Sir Walter buffalo grass and palmetto grass are equally tough competitors in terms of self-repairing. Just like the Kikuyu turf, buffalo turf will also bounce back easily upon getting damaged.

HEAT AND DROUGHT TOLERANCE – BUFFALO Vs. KIKUYU

Australian weather is the biggest challenge for any grass, and the hot weather can dry any turf in a few days. This is where Kikuyu and palmetto grass can be beneficial, as they are incredible performers in drought-like conditions. Eureka Kikuyu can retain its colour all year round due to its deep root system that delivers water from deep inside the soil. Sir Walter and palmetto are also known for great wear tolerance properties, and they can manage to survive even during the hottest and driest summer season.

PERFORMANCE – BUFFALO Vs KIKUYU

If you are searching for the best-performing lawn, buffalo and Kikuyu grass are the answers. However, Kikuyu grass will require more maintenance and hence, it is ideal if you have adequate time for maintenance. The good news is that Kikuyu is known for its weed and pest resistance, and these factors will not influence the quality at all.

Why Choose Natural Grass Over Synthetic Grass?

Image source: https://aviewturf.com.au/palmetto-buffalo-grass/

 Nothing is more rejuvenating in the morning than a lawn full of lush green grass. This grass is available in two forms these days – natural grass and synthetic grass. People are confused because of the lack of correct resources on the Internet to guide them on whether to choose artificial turf or natural turf like palmetto buffalo. We have created a blog post to discuss the dissimilarities between natural and synthetic turf.

WHICH TURF TO CHOOSE – SYNTHETIC OR NATURAL?

Natural grass is recommended for your lawn, as it has several advantages over synthetic turfs. For example – it is natural and hence, safer in comparison to fake or plastic turf. It is also economically available and easy to install, thereby offering much better value than synthetic grass.

Why Choose Natural Turf Over Synthetic Turf?

A Natural And Safe Lawn

When you choose a natural turf for your buffalo lawn Sydney, you give a natural and safe playground for your kids to play in. Due to aerated soil, the best buffalo lawn Sydney will provide substantial shock absorption for several sports and recreational activities.

On the other hand, fake plastic grass is installed on a hard base, and there is very less shock absorption feature available.

Good Looking And Soothing

Anyone can detect an artificial lawn from a far distance and get disappointed to see fake grass there. On the other hand, natural grass like palmetto buffalo, couch grass, or Kikuyu will instantly soothe the senses as soon as they catch their attention. Studies say that naturally green grass is psychologically calming and can relax your eyes.

Natural Turf Is Cooler Than Fake Grass

During the warm summer season, the natural grass will stay cooler due to the presence of an adequate amount of water. Synthetic grass will continue to get warmer and warmer, restricting you and your children from using it for a long time. Studies show that the difference in temperature between these two grasses is 30 degree Celsius during hot summer days.

Natural Turf Is Cheaper And More Durable

As compared to natural grass, synthetic turf can be three times more expensive. This makes natural turf a more affordable and long-lasting option for your entire lifetime if well maintained. A shocking fact about synthetic grass is that it has to be replaced every 8 to 10 years.

Reviewing Different Buffalo Grasses for Your Buffalo Lawn

Buffalo grass is one of the most common and also the most popular grasses used in Australia. You will see buffalo lawn Sydney on a very frequent basis, as it is a warm-season grass that suits Australian weather conditions. This grass comes in different varieties, and the most common is the DNA-certified Sir Walter buffalo grass. In this post, we will outline some details of buffalo grass, how to identify it and the types available commonly in the markets.

Image Source: http://aviewturf.com.au/buffalo-grass/

WHAT IS A BUFFALO GRASS?

One of the most unique turf types available in Australia is buffalo grass, and it is also known as the only grass native to Australia. It is suitable for lawns and gardens due to qualities like superior drought and cold tolerance. Vendors say that as compared to other warm-season grasses, a buffalo lawn Sydney will have better cold tolerance.

HOW TO IDENTIFY BUFFALO GRASS?

Since it is available in different types, you will find buffalo grass varying in looks and feel a lot. Typically, most buffalo grasses have broad leaf blades that are always lush green in colour. They are low-growing grasses that are spread by stolons. Newer varieties, such as the one mentioned above, DNA Certified Sir Walter is soft to the touch and non-allergenic as well.

TYPES OF BUFFALO GRASS AVAILABLE FOR BUFFALO LAWNS SYDNEY

DNA-CERTIFIED SIR WALTER

This one is the most popular buffalo grass in Australia for various reasons. It is drought, shade and frost tolerant and has quick self-repair properties as well. It is also a very low-allergen grass that makes it ideal for residential properties, where kids love to play outdoors.

SAPPHIRE BUFFALO GRASS

Sir Walter buffalo grass performs incredibly well in high-traffic areas, but on the contrary, sapphire buffalo grass is a good choice for shade tolerance in low-traffic areas. It is not a very fast-growing grass and does not require frequent mowing.

PALMETTO BUFFALO GRASS

This is the closest competitor of DNA Certified Sir Walter grass, as it holds its colour during the winter season very impressively. It generates a minimal amount of thatch and is entirely resistant to different weather conditions.

MATILDA BUFFALO GRASS

Like palmetto buffalo grass, this variety is also known for maintaining its green winter colour in the full sun. This grass prefers sunlight and has the robustness to withstand high wear and tear.

Out of all these buffalo grass varieties, Sir Walter buffalo grass is ideal for your buffalo lawn Sydney, as it is native to Australia and well-suited for the summer heat and frosty winter season.

Types Of Buffalo Grass And Their Incredible Features

Due to its luscious looks, soft and green texture, and shade tolerance, buffalo grass has become a true stalwart of all turf grasses. It is a warm-season grass used in Australian homes throughout the year. It is available in different varieties, and let us explore the features of some of them.

Image Source: http://aviewturf.com.au/buffalo-grass/

BUFFALO TURF FEATURES

• Attractive Dark Green Colour

• Winter Colour

• High Shade Tolerance

• High Drought Tolerance

• Low maintenance

• Excellent Wear Tolerance 

• Salt Tolerance

TYPES OF BUFFALO GRASS

Researching in the market will reveal that this turf is available in 3 different types, and the first is prestige buffalo grass.

PRESTIGE BUFFALO

This is a new-generation turf and can be tagged as the newest turf present in the markets. It is highly acclaimed for its consistent deep green colour, hard-wearing properties and reasonable recovery rate. It also has impressive drought tolerance, and 70% shade tolerance is its top USP. This turf grows in most parts of Australia, including Queensland, New South Wales and ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. The expenses are between 13 and 16 dollars per square metre.

SAPPHIRE BUFFALO

Sapphire buffalo is known for soft, fine leaves and is named soft-leaf buffalo turf. It was rated as the number one buffalo in terms of shade tolerance. It also recovers well from any wear and tear. It maintains its colours well in the winter season, and the leaf has an extra softness and adequate coating to protect it from frost. Just like the former one, this turf is also well suited for most parts of Australia. You should expect to pay between 10 and 15 dollars for growing soft-leaf buffalo turf per square metre.

PALMETTO BUFFALO TURF

The most popular variant of buffalo turf is palmetto buffalo turf. It is very low maintenance, less watering and has great hard-wearing turf for any setup. It can be used in homes with kids and pets and in commercial structures like lawns, stadiums, parks and so on. It is known for its dense growth, and this dense growth makes it entirely immune to weed invasion. This turf is also well suited for most parts of Australia and can be purchased easily from any vendor of turf supplies Sydney. Low-cost availability is another USP, and the cost of laying this turf per square metre is between 10 and 15 dollars.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Kikuyu Grass

Picking suitable grass is a challenge for property owners, mainly when there is a never-ending range available in the markets. Upon seeking suggestions from turf suppliers, you will get Kikuyu grass as the top answer. It is a popular option in Australian gardens, as it has a very aggressive growth and has the quality to adapt to a range of conditions. In this blog post, we will learn some key characteristics of Kikuyu grass, but let us first understand what this grass is.

Source: https://aviewturf.com.au/kikuyu-grass/

WHAT IS KIKUYU GRASS?

Kikuyu grass is an exciting turf option available to the people of Australia. It is known as one of the hardest and most cost-effective options available in turf supplies Sydney. This grass is a part of the poaceae family and was imported from Belgian Congo. In the beginning, it was not a very much trusted option in terms of lawn grass but yes, it was acknowledged for its medicinal benefits. The juice of kikuyu grass has blood clotting qualities that can reduce excessive bleeding really fast.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF KIKUYU GRASS

There is a long list of advantages of using Kikuyu grass. One thing you have to keep in mind is that it grows really vigorously and thrives really fast.

Here is a small list of the advantages and disadvantages of using Kikuyu grass.

ADVANTAGES:

Kikuyu grass has strong, deep roots, which makes it incredibly resilient.

This variety of grass repairs incredibly quickly.

It is ideal for areas with lots of foot traffic.

It is great for gardens with children or pets.

This grass is incredibly drought tolerant, needing little supplementary water. 

The deep roots also make it great for erosion control.

Kikuyu grass produces an ocean of bright green – becoming the envy of your neighbours.

DISADVANTAGES:

It tends to turn yellowish during the winter, which some growers don’t like.

It’s an incredibly aggressive grower.

It can become invasive and affect other plants.

Kikuyu is not shade tolerant and will die off quickly when not receiving sufficient daily sunlight.

Buffalo Grass – An Incredible Choice for Commercial and Residential Gardens and Lawns

For several decades now, buffalo grass has remained the most preferred grass for the people of Australia because of certain features. The top quality is that it can grow in dry areas, and even in the absence of top supplies Sydney, you will find this turf thriving well. In other words, even with little or no irrigation at all, this turf can generate magnificent lawns in a residential and commercial set-up. Several features are there that set this turf apart from all other types available in Australia.

Source: https://aviewturf.com.au/

SEEDING BUFFALO GRASS

An adequately organized seed bed is what you will require if you want to see this grass successfully thriving. Some people rely on the 'scatter' technique, and if you do too, it is recommended that a thin layer of soil is placed on top of the seed. With a warm climate and minimal irrigation, you will find it growing well. Yes, one thing to note here is that the planting has to be done early enough before the cold season.

FERTILIZATION OF BUFFALO GRASS

Compared to couch grass and Kikuyu grass, buffalo grass will perform well in proper fertilization. It has to be ensured that too much fertilizer is not applied as it might damage the turf and hamper its steady growth. The right amount of fertilizer is essential, followed by the right kind to speed up the growth process. According to the vendors of turf supplies Sydney, proper and on-time application of fertilizer ensures the strengthening of the roots.

IRRIGATION AND MOWING

Once this turf is established fully, it will not require too much irrigation to thrive. In fact, it can perform well once irrigated each period. Deep irrigation is needed once every 2 to 4 weeks to improve the quality of the lawn and keep grass free from any weed invasion.

In contrast to other turfs, buffalo grass will offer you a lawn that stays green throughout the year, even when the lawn owner is careless about irrigation and mowing.

Watering Related Important Guidelines for Buffalo Grass

 Different kinds of grasses have different types of water-related requirements. In the buffalo variety of grasses, mostly turfs have similar water requirements, and the deep root system is what is required the most. Hence, turf suppliers recommend watering well after the turf is installed. There are some other recommendations made by these turf suppliers, and let us go through them in this post below.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I WATER MY LAWN

Some elementary rules are there to follow regarding watering the buffalo lawn.

FOR AN ESTABLISHED LAWN

For a buffalo lawn Sydney that has been fully established, a meagre amount of water is required compared to what is required during the establishment process. Particularly, Sir Walter turf has the lowest water requirements of all turf and grasses.

DURING THE SUMMER SEASON

In the summer season, experts recommend watering buffalo grass 2-3 times per week very deeply for adequate watering. On the contrary, in the winter season, it will require one deep watering per week, depending on the weather conditions and temperature.

The buffalo lawn gets established in around 12 months, and once this happens, you can go for deep watering of 15 millimeters in the summer season. You can use a plastic container or a rain gauge to determine the amount of water given to the lawn.

NO WATERING IN THE EVENING

No matter what lawn or turf you have, it is recommended not to water it at all in the evening or at night. The lawn will remain wet throughout the night, and this will encourage fungus, mould and rotting issues. Experts advocate morning time as the best time to water as less water will evaporate and get lost. A deep irrigation system should be used during the water crisis situation.

Lastly, it is advised not to ignore any watering-related tips given by the turf supplier because this will affect the turf’s growth adversely. You have to ensure that watering is done methodically until the roots of the turf have been established completely.