How to revive browning Buffalo lawn?

[BlakeD]

 

 

I laid my buffalo turf in November. Since then some areas are starting to go brown and look quite dead. Is this just over summer? Or is there something else I need to do to maintain the grass?

also, along my sleeper wall, it doesn’t seem to grow here either. Any tips on improving this area too? 

[JacobZ]

Hi @BlakeD,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

When you get heavy rains, do you get water pooling in these areas?

Looking at the lawn, it looks likely that these are low spots where water will pool.

My suggestion, which will benefit your entire lawn, not just the brown spots, is to aerate, top dress and level your lawn.

Have a look at How To Topdress Your Lawn for some guidance.

You'll want to start by aerating the lawn, using a garden fork, lawn aerator or lawn corer. This will break up compacted soil, promote better drainage and get more oxygen into the root layer which will improve the lawn's health.

Once aerated, apply a top dressing mix over the entire lawn, then smooth and level it with a soil spreader. While spreading the soil, it is essential that you ruffle the leaves, so they poke through the soil, and they aren't smothered.

After this, you should apply a lawn fertiliser, water regularly and mow regularly at a consistent height.

You might also like to check out the Lawn section of our D.I.Y. advice pages. There's a wealth of information you can read through for guidance.

Let me know what you think and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

[BlakeD]

 

Hi thanks for getting back to me. Do I topdress over the dead looking patches? Will it regrown the lawn?

[MitchellMc]

If you aerate the area and topdress, there's a good chance the grass will gradually infill it, @BlakeD.

You might like to check for lawn beetle/grub, by mixing some dishwashing detergent with water and applying it liberally around the transition between the brown lawn and the green lawn. If beetles or grubs are present they will come to the surface. You can treat the area with lawn grub killer.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[BlakeD]

Hi Jacob,

im going to aerate and top dress.

does it matter what season i do it in? As in could i do it now?

Can you recommend what I should top dress with and then what should I fertilise with?

thanks again,

Blake 

[EricL]

Hello @BlakeD 

Buffalo lawns are tough and low-maintenance, but they really benefit from aeration and top dressing during their active growing season, which is spring through early autumn. If you’re still getting some warm weather and your lawn is actively growing (green, not going dormant), it’s totally fine to do it now. Just avoid doing it too close to winter if the temperatures are starting to drop off where you are, since the lawn won’t recover as quickly.

For top dressing, Scotts Lawn Builder 25L Organic Lawn Soil Topdress & Underlay from Bunnings is a great choice. It’s a sandy loam mix that helps level the surface and improve soil quality without smothering the Buffalo blades, which don’t love being buried too deeply. Apply a thin layer and spread it evenly with a rake or leveller, then give it a good watering.

After top dressing, follow up with Scotts Lawn Builder Buffalo Slow Release Lawn Fertiliser. This one’s made specifically for Buffalo lawns—it’s gentle on the leaf and root system, promotes strong growth, and won’t burn the lawn. It also doesn’t require immediate watering, which is handy if you're juggling timing or don't have a lot of time on your hands.

A quick tip: after aerating, watering your lawn lightly before applying the top dress helps it settle better into the soil plugs. And if you’ve got any thatch build-up, Buffalo does better when it’s cleared out in spring, so maybe hold off on heavy dethatching for now if it's getting cooler.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric