subject: Buffalo Broadleaf Turf [print this page] Lets take a more in depth look at the broadleaf variety of Buffalo Grass. Available locally this grass looks spectacular and when properly maintained will give you that show garden look.
Shade Tolerance
Lets face it. All plants need sunlight to survive but some grow better in the shade than others. Broadleaf Buffalo Grass thrives in full sunlight and has a shade tolerance of about 75 to 80% making it well suited to most gardening applications in Townsville and other North Queensland areas.
It will happily take over moist, shady areas in the garden and copes very well with the constant cloud cover of our wet season.
Well Suited To Tropical Climate
Broadleaf Buffalo Grass is ideal for Townsville and the local tropical regions with really dry weather for part of the year and significant rainfall in others.
A study was conducted to test how long buffalo grass could survive without water. The results?
Even after 60 days without being watered, broadleaf buffalo grass was one of the few capable of recovering from dull, to luscious green lawn.
It's Easy To Mow
To get best results, the trick is to mow after the dew has gone in the morning or while it is dry. Stressed lawns are hard to mow dont look as good either so keep this in mind when you are dragging the hose around.
In Townsville and the North Queensland area, we get a lot of rain over the wet season and it can sometimes be several weeks of intense growth before the lawn can be mowed. Broadleaf Buffalo Grass is one of the few grasses that copes well with scalping.
If you regularly mow your lawn it takes much less effort to keep it in great shape and control and eliminate the weeds. And man it looks spectacular when mowed. :)
Very Dominant When Maintained
Broadleaf Buffalo Grass grows in a thick, luscious, dark green mat. A healthy lawn, mowed regularly, will keep weeds at bay with little need for the use of herbicides for weed control.
Low Maintenance
Buffalo Grass requires less maintenance than many other types of grass which means lower ongoing cost outlays. It is relatively easy to look after, needing less fertilizer and less regular watering than other grass types. However, what is important is the timing and the amount of fertilizer applied. Apply incorrectly and it will cause the grass to burn. I will go into more detail about the ins and outs of fertilizing in another post but (at least in the Townsville and local North Queensland area) it is best to fertilize your lawn no more than 3 times per year depending on conditions.
Plays Well With Others
Unlike most other varieties, Broadleaf Buffalo Grass is relatively non-invasive because it only spreads via above ground runners. Because it has no underground runners it is easily kept out of garden beds and doesnt pop up where it is not wanted.
For these reasons Broadleaf Buffalo is the grass we have chosen to grow commercially here in the Townsville region. Wed love to talk to you about how it would suit your yard.
