Help Save My Lawn

justanick on 27/08/2024 - 09:14

Hi All,

I’m a newbie in gardening and I need help with my lawn. Last year when my lawn was thin I spread this lawn seed from Bunnings —>

https://www.bunnings.com.au/garden-basics-1kg-tough-and-hard…

Here’s how my lawn looks like after mowing in 4 days.

https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/100944/115290/img_7356…

https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/100944/115291/img_7355…

This is the worst thing I could do to my lawn. There’s two issues 1. The buffalo grass has been over taken by this weird grass 2. The growth of this grass is phenomenal. It grows like in 2 days. I have to mow the lawn every week and I can’t sustain this due to my recent back injury.

Lastly, from the pictures you can see there’s a lot of clovers all over my lawn. I’ve noticed this is happening across Sydney on every lawn.
How do I get rid of them?

Home & Garden Lawn

Comments

  • pharkurnell on 27/08/2024 - 09:22
    +2

    that looks like my lawn..

    • Save 50 Cent on 27/08/2024 - 15:48
      +2

      And looks much better than my lawn.

      • reactor-au on 28/08/2024 - 09:25

        And someone's been walking on my lawn

    • HeWhoKnows on 28/08/2024 - 15:24
      -2

      And what did OP expect from a cheap and cheerful packet of random lawn seed?

  • jv on 27/08/2024 - 09:22
    +4

    How do I get rid of them?

    Mow.

    • HeWhoKnows on 28/08/2024 - 15:26
      -1

      Clover comes out during winter and spring.
      Its normal but not good if you let it take over.

      Spray the clover with this:
      https://www.yates.com.au/yates-500ml-bindii-clover-weeder-co…

      Then wait for the buffalo to take off when the weather gets warm with regular rain.
      Bufallo grass will naturally take over the lawn during summer if you have manged to remove most of the weeds.

      • justanick on 28/08/2024 - 17:04
        +3

        I previously bought this product but the guide states it’s not suitable for Buffalo grass.

  • donga100 on 27/08/2024 - 09:27
    +10

    Spray Bin-Die to get rid of the clover and other weeds. There is a chance it kills the rye grass too as it is still young. Make sure you mix it exactly as per the instructions and not double strength (stronger is not better and will kill your grass). If you fertilise the lawn you will get less clover and the grass will grow/spread more. Regular mowing also encourages the grass to grow laterally.

    Most likely though you are never going to have a purely buffalo grass lawn again unless you returf.

    • soan papdi on 27/08/2024 - 11:40

      Is this better than Hortico 360 weed killer and roughly how long before the weeds die? Will it need multiple applications?

      • donga100 on 27/08/2024 - 11:57
        +2

        Hortico 360 is extremely effective but will kill all of the grass too. Bin-Die will not kill the grass and weeds start to die within 24 hours to a week. It can require a second application for some weeds.

      • BewareOfThe Dog on 27/08/2024 - 21:45

        Hortico 360 concentrate had been discontinued by Yates.

        • donga100 on 28/08/2024 - 10:24
          +1

          Plenty of other glyphosate concentrates available.

  • Dumax on 27/08/2024 - 09:29
    +8

    1. The buffalo grass has been over taken by this weird grass

    Rye grass.

    2. The growth of this grass is phenomenal.

    This will be emphasised by the fact that Buffalo grass is dormant in cooler months.

    Lastly, from the pictures you can see there’s a lot of clovers all over my lawn. I’ve noticed this is happening across Sydney on every lawn.
    How do I get rid of them?

    You'll need some broad leaf weedkiller (for example) that is made specifically for Buffalo grass.

    • original15 on 27/08/2024 - 10:33

      All this
      Buffalo can come back strong once it warms up

  • CheapandUsed on 27/08/2024 - 09:52
    +4

    you can see there’s a lot of clovers all over my lawn.

    If you are sick of mowing, kill the grass and let the clovers take over. Bonus is Bees and Butterfly's will be more abundant and you don't have to waste a day every second weekend in summer 'mowing'.

    • justanick on 27/08/2024 - 09:57

      I am not sick of mowing. I don’t want to mow every week. I also want to go overseas for few weeks in summer and not come back to see a jungle.
      I got back injury now for which I need to recover.

      • macca9123 on 28/08/2024 - 10:08
        +1

        Then in the summer time you need to spray a lawn growth regulator such as this. Roughly speaking it will double the time between mows. It's not cheap but you don't use much at a time. Need to spray it evenly though.

  • justanick on 27/08/2024 - 09:55

    Rye grass - thank you finally I found a name.

    Can I not spray buffalo seeds and overshadow the Rye grass? Is there any other easy way to get rid of them with returf? This Rye grass is 8 months old. Not young I would think.

    I also have several patches of space where I killed all grass as I was trying to kill this Rye grass and clover. How do I replant buffalo grass? Bunnings sells some rolls not sure if they can supply few rolls of turf without me getting them on my car.

    • donga100 on 27/08/2024 - 10:19
      +2

      It's near impossible to grow buffalo from seed. The only other option apart from returfing would be to hand pluck the rye grass. Put down a pre-emergent to prevent further germination of rye/weeds.

      • justanick on 27/08/2024 - 10:28

        Thanks mate. What do you mean by putting down a pre-emergent..? Sorry I’m a newbie in gardening.

        • donga100 on 27/08/2024 - 10:32

          Something like this. It kills new plants as they germinate but doesn't harm existing plants. It's good for use in buffalo because buffalo spreads by roots rather than by seed. Stops new weeds and rye grass from appearing after you remove the existing ones. It lasts a few months at least.

          • soan papdi on 27/08/2024 - 10:58
            +1

            @donga100: I'm not OP but thanks, wasn't aware of this product. Was using a Yates 12 month killer spray but don't think it was too effective.

          • justanick on 27/08/2024 - 11:13
            +1

            @donga100: Thanks a lot mate.

  • justanick on 27/08/2024 - 10:31

    I also got weeds and moss growing in between my driveway and side path.
    Should I get this? I’ve used the spray version it smells like strong chemical. It works for sometime but weeds, moss and algae comes back.
    Without breaking the bank what can I buy to clean my driveway and side path.
    The moss and algae is getting dangerous as someone can slip and fall.

    https://www.bunnings.com.au/eco-organic-garden-1l-slasher-we…

    • donga100 on 27/08/2024 - 10:34
      +1

      That stuff is useless, it just browns the leaves without killing the plant.

    • Darayus on 27/08/2024 - 10:56

      moss and algae is due to bad drainage, rake the soil, loose the soil where moss is grown and that will allow grass to overtake that area.

      • justanick on 27/08/2024 - 11:16

        Oh no. I can’t do that. I got concrete slabs in an area and in between we have weeds growing. Moss and algae are on part of the lawn and side walk. I can’t rake the soil.

    • BewareOfThe Dog on 27/08/2024 - 21:48
      +1

      Ryobi pressure cleaner.

  • justanick on 27/08/2024 - 11:17

    What product can I use to kill weeds moss and algae at the same time? Of course not planning to use on my buffalo grass.

  • Euphemistic on 27/08/2024 - 16:38

    If ita buffalo, get some buffalo safe weed spray. Something like bin-die. Use it now.

    Buffalo hasnt really started growing yet this season, but its not far off. Itll come back strong before you know it, just weed spray and hand weed as appropriate.

  • nocure on 27/08/2024 - 17:28
    +2

    Dig it up and replace with Sir walter

    • justanick on 27/08/2024 - 19:55
      +1

      Thanks I’ll buy two or three rolls from Bunnings. I’ll dig an inch of soil and just roll the turf or do I need to do anything else?

      • nocure on 27/08/2024 - 19:56

        Nope, sir walter is bullet proof

        • justanick on 27/08/2024 - 20:07

          If this is your lawn the neighbours must be envy your lawn. It’s beautiful.

          Where can i buy this turf? My local Bunnings sells a meter turf but I don’t know if that’s the same buffalo turf. There’s a sign says a list of buffalo turfs but which one are they selling. I can’t find anyone in the plant section.
          Last week I asked someone at another Bunnings store and he was so rude. He replied it’s just normal buffalo grass. Not even sure the type.

          • nocure on 27/08/2024 - 20:26
            +1

            @justanick: Thanks. Here's the front

            Bunnings turf is rubbish, try a landscape yard or turf supplies.

            • justanick on 27/08/2024 - 22:11
              +1

              @nocure: This is beautiful. My wife just saw this and flipped. Now she wants our lawn to be like that. Hahahaha

              I just googled few “Turf suppliers around” most of them will only lay down. I need only few rolls to fix my patches. Where can I look into?

    • DazMon on 28/08/2024 - 20:00

      Cats love it too!

  • justanick on 27/08/2024 - 19:54
    +1

    Thank you guys. I just got back from Bunnings and bought the below after your recommendations:

    -Bin-Die safe for Buffalo grass
    https://www.bunnings.com.au/amgrow-250ml-bin-die-selective-l…

    -In a week max I’ll go to Bunnings again to get Sir Walter dig up the soil and lay the grass where I lost buffalo grass.
    Before I start digging do I take out an inch of soil and just roll the turf or do I need to put something else?

  • dust on 27/08/2024 - 20:25
    -3

    Potentially controversial opinion but lawns are overrated.

  • spurf on 28/08/2024 - 07:36
    +1

    I planted this rubbish ages ago to fill in some bare patches in my buffalo too. No need to stress though, the buffalo will overrun it eventually without actively trying to kill it. Long term, apply a slow release lawn fertiliser 3x a year, set your mower to the highest setting and mulch mow.

    • justanick on 28/08/2024 - 13:31

      Could you please recommend me something to buy with a link from Bunnings? There are so many options and it’s hard for a newbie.

      • spurf on 29/08/2024 - 10:46
        +1

        I use this stuff:

        https://www.bunnings.com.au/scotts-lawn-builder-15kg-buffalo…

        It's expensive but works well, especially if you mulch mow as you don't lose the nutrients. I only use it once a year now as the lawn is in a good state between using this mulch mowing and cutting it tall

        • nocure on 29/08/2024 - 12:38

          Any pics?

        • justanick on 29/08/2024 - 21:45

          Thank you mate added to my list to buy.

  • spurf on 28/08/2024 - 07:40

    Bin-Die won't kill rye grass, but handy to kill clover and bindies although if you feed and let your buffalo grow tall they will choke out these weeds.

    From the product description:

    "Bin-Die has been formulated especially for use on buffalo lawns. It can also be used on couch, bent, kikuyu, paspalum, fescue and RYE LAWNS"

    • reactor-au on 28/08/2024 - 09:33

      Maybe Buffalo Pro?

    • donga100 on 28/08/2024 - 10:28

      Bin-Die won't kill rye grass

      It will if the rye is still young. I killed my whole backyard full of it with Bin-Die after 16 weeks of meticulous seeding, watering, and fertilising. Don't think it will work for OP though if the new grass is already 8 months old.

      • justanick on 28/08/2024 - 13:37

        I’ll try with BinDie but before I do I’ll give a go to pick up the grass with hand.
        My buffalo grass doesn’t take over these RyeGrass. When I was overseas last Christmas for 4 weeks I was shocked to see the Rye was 5 feet in length and took over the buffalo grass.

  • Loopholio on 28/08/2024 - 09:54

    I've bought the same garbage grass and regret it. Can these grass seeds be used to feed birds?

    • Euphemistic on 28/08/2024 - 10:43
      +3

      Just throw it on your neighbours lawn. The opposite of cutting your neighbours grass.

  • justanick on 28/08/2024 - 13:35

    Where can I buy Sir Walter 3-4 meters sq max apart from Bunnings? I called Bunnings most around me don’t have it in stock.
    The turf shops are very far and min 30msq.

    Am I looking to lay grass at the wrong time of the year? Bunnings usually have lots in stock.

  • justanick on 29/08/2024 - 03:18

    When is a good month to lay buffalo grass?

  • justanick on 29/08/2024 - 22:08

    I need help!!

    I’m going to Bunnings to get started on my project to patch the lawn on few dead patches with buffalo grass.
    Could you please check if I have everything I need or going overboard?

  • justanick on 30/08/2024 - 19:07

    Any thoughts before I go to Bunnings? Shall I get all the above?

  • justanick on 31/08/2024 - 21:27

    I bought turf and tools from Bunnings.

    I have a big question. How many days can I keep the turf in my backyard before laying them on the lawn? The plan was on Sunday but I got to see a friend who’s unwell.
    Mon - Friday are very difficult due to work. Just wondering what’s my time limit before the turf gets bad.

    • Euphemistic on 01/09/2024 - 10:44
      +1

      Depends on the weather. It needs to be down within a few days. Especially if from bunnings as it will be less fresh than direct from turf farm.

      • justanick on 01/09/2024 - 12:28

        Great. I’m on it and hopefully get it done by Monday

  • noideaa on 01/09/2024 - 09:16

    Just pull up some Kikuyu runners from people’s lawns or parks and plant it. Even better, mass sow it.

    Problem solved. You will have the best lawn in the neighborhood if you mow regularly because nothing will ever compete with them.

    Don’t bother with high maintenance and weak grass variety.

    • Euphemistic on 01/09/2024 - 10:42
      -1

      Kikuyu sucks.

    • justanick on 01/09/2024 - 12:28

      Kikuyu really sucks

  • justanick on 01/09/2024 - 19:29

    I rushed my other priorities and lay down the roll of 8 turfs today. OMG digging, laying down top soil was bone breaking task. I think I’ll know how my back feels tomorrow.

    Here’s a question. How many times a day and for how long should I keep watering? I have setup auto sprinklers that can be scheduled.

    I also plan on spraying Bin-Die from the recommendation above. Will this impact my new grass or shall I just spray on my old turf and ignore the new turf?

    • Euphemistic on 02/09/2024 - 08:46
      +2

      Its not rocket surgery.

      Just make sure the new stuff doesnt dry out. How much water depends on your local conditions.

      Why would you spray new turf? Does it have any weeds?

      • donga100 on 02/09/2024 - 09:00
        +1

        Yeah, don't spray the new turf. Bin-Die doesn't do anything in the soil, it only gets absorbed through the leaves, so there is no point spraying it if it isn't going on established weeds. Make sure you mix it exactly as per the directions too, don't add any extra just for the sake of it.

  • justanick on 02/09/2024 - 17:34

    Got it. Thank you guys.

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