Caring For Your Sir Walter Lawn in Summer
The Australian summer is known for being extremely harsh and unforgiving, so it’s always best to give your turf some extra care during this time. A Sir Walter buffalo lawn is the quintessential Australian turf, with an incredible resilience towards heat and drought. Despite the hardiness of this brilliant breed, it is still a little vulnerable during the summer months. Here are some tips for caring for your Sir Walter turf this season.
Water it Less Often, But Deeper
Watering your lawn deeper but less often will encourage its roots to grow deeper into the soil and will help make it more drought-resistant. If you give it light water every afternoon, it has no reason to develop a deep root system. The deeper the root system of your turf, the less likely it is to dry out and die on a hot summer day.
To create a deep root system, you should reduce the watering frequency to half normal water or even less. When your lawn is looking wilted, you can give the turf a large drink. The lack of water will encourage the roots to grow deeper to seek water, and the large watering will keep the turf in good condition. By encouraging the roots to grow deeper, they are safer from the summer heat and below the evaporation level of the soil. This means that even if the blades dry out, the roots are still in a healthy condition to re-grow after summer.
Apply a Wetting Agent
Once the summer heat has arrived, it is a good idea to apply a wetting agent to your turf. For many types of soil, once they are dry, they become repellent to water. This will lead to runoff and minimal water absorbed by the turf. Wetting agents coat particles with a water-attracting agent, allowing the soil to absorb more water and hold onto it for a longer time. By applying a wetting agent, you will be able to keep watering your turf, ensuring it stays healthy throughout the harsh summer.
Handy Tip – There are a variety of different lawn soaking products available. These products will help your soil absorb more water when it needs it most.
Remove Excess Thatch
As Sir Walter buffalo turf grows, it develops thatch, which will build up if it’s not controlled and blanket the fresh grass that’s trying to grow underneath it. Since Sir Walter buffalo turf is an extremely hardy turf variety, the thatch can be removed simply by short-mowing the lawn. After you have removed the thatch, apply fertiliser and water to your lawn for at least two weeks.
Mow it Often
A Sir Walter buffalo lawn benefits greatly from regular mowing as it stops the build-up of thatch prevent the lawn from creeping into other people’s gardens and promotes fresh growth. Mowing more regularly, perhaps once a week, also reduces the risk of cutting the blades too short and scalping the lawn.
Unless you’re mowing to remove any excess thatch from your lawn, it’s best to cut your lawn to a height of at least three centimetres to reduce the possibility of damage from disease or exposure. The number of times a week you should mow your lawn varies depending upon the season, ranging from once a week in summer to once every four weeks in winter.
Handy Tip – If you return from holidays and your grass is longer than normal, don’t cut it all in one mowing. This could send your lawn into shock, try cutting a little bit over a few weeks.
Mow it Higher
During summer, you want to set your mower slightly higher than you might during the rest of the year. The reason for this is to retain moisture. Your lawn’s thatch – the build-up of grass debris that forms a mat at the base of your lawn – serves to hold in moisture. If you expose this thatch by mowing your lawn too low, moisture will evaporate, drying out your lawn. If you remove too much of the green blades in a single mowing it will kill sections of your lawn that are already battling the summer heat. Therefore, by leaving more leaves, you are protecting the soil, preventing the harsh sun from drying it out and leaving it less prone to evaporation. This will also help your soil retain vital moisture with less water.
Fertilise it Early
Prepare your lawn for the harsh, dry conditions of summer by applying adequate amounts of fertiliser. The best time to fertilise your lawn is during the spring, as the milder weather will allow your lawn to make the most of the nutrients and build up its strength before summer. If you must fertilise during summer, try to do so at the beginning when the heat isn’t so unrelenting.
We often underestimate just how much care and attention our lawn requires, but when you look at it, it will look after you! You want to choose a fertiliser with a slow release to ensure that your lawn gets the vital nutrients it needs over the warm months.
If you want to keep your Sir Walter Buffalo lawn in peak condition, it is advised that you apply a high-quality, nutrient-rich fertiliser to your lawn once every two months. Your lawn will also benefit greatly from lawn supplements, which should give it a boost of any vitamins and minerals it may lack. If you’re looking for a high-quality fertiliser or lawn supplement, many nurseries and turf farmers will supply these alongside other turf supplies.
Handy Tip – If you are unsure how much fertiliser you should use on your lawn, follow the directions, but on a small patch use double. If this patch does better than the regular lawn, then you may need to add additional lawn fertiliser.
Need More Advice?
You can do these things to take care of your Sir Walter buffalo lawn during the scorching summer months. If you’re looking for high-quality Sir Walter buffalo turf for your next residential or commercial project, talk to J&B Buffalo Turf Supplies, one of Sydney’s leading turf farmers. We supply high-quality, genetically pure Sir Walter buffalo turf and other high-quality turf varieties.
If you’d like to learn more about our Sir Walter Buffalo lawn, call us at 1800 668 786 today.
