Even the healthiest buffalo lawns occasionally encounter problems. The key to successful treatment is early identification and appropriate intervention. This guide covers the most common issues affecting buffalo grass in Australia, helping you diagnose problems accurately and apply effective solutions. With prompt attention, most lawn problems can be resolved quickly, often without lasting damage.
Brown Patches and Discolouration
Brown patches are among the most common complaints from buffalo grass owners. The challenge is that multiple causes can create similar symptoms, making diagnosis crucial before treatment.
Drought Stress
Symptoms: Grass develops a blue-grey colour before turning brown. Footprints remain visible. Typically affects sunny areas first.
Solution: Begin deep watering immediately. Apply 25-40mm and repeat every 2-3 days until recovery. Consider installing irrigation in problem areas.
Lawn Grubs
Symptoms: Brown patches that lift easily (like carpet) because roots have been eaten. Most common in late summer through autumn. Visible white curl grubs or green armyworm caterpillars when soil is examined.
Solution: Apply an appropriate lawn grub treatment containing active ingredients like chlorantraniliprole or bifenthrin. Water in thoroughly after application. Treat preventatively in early summer if grubs are an annual problem.
To check for grubs, grab a handful of affected grass and pull gently. If it lifts easily like a loose mat, grubs have likely eaten the roots. Healthy grass resists pulling because roots anchor it firmly to soil.
Fungal Disease
Symptoms: Circular brown patches, often with a darker ring around the edge. May have a slimy texture when wet. Often appears after extended humid conditions or overwatering.
Solution: Reduce watering frequency and improve air circulation by pruning overhanging plants. Apply a fungicide containing propiconazole or azoxystrobin for severe cases. Address underlying drainage issues to prevent recurrence.
Dog Urine Damage
Symptoms: Small circular brown spots, often with a ring of darker green growth around the edge (from nitrogen concentration). Located where dogs habitually urinate.
Solution: Immediately water the spot after dogs urinate to dilute nitrogen. Train dogs to use a designated area. Severe spots may need reseeding or patching with fresh turf.
Weed Invasion
A healthy, dense buffalo lawn naturally suppresses most weeds. Weed invasion often indicates an underlying problem weakening the grass, such as compaction, nutrient deficiency, or incorrect mowing height.
Common Broadleaf Weeds
Bindii, clover, dandelion, cudweed: These thrive in thin, undernourished lawns.
Solution: Apply a selective broadleaf herbicide labelled safe for buffalo grass. Products containing bromoxynil, MCPA, or dicamba are commonly used. Always read labels carefully - some herbicides damage buffalo grass. For small infestations, hand removal before seeding is effective.
Never use herbicides containing dicamba on buffalo grass unless the product is specifically labelled as buffalo-safe. Even buffalo-safe products can cause temporary yellowing - this typically recovers within 2-4 weeks.
Grass Weeds
Wintergrass, crowsfoot, paspalum: These are more challenging as selective herbicides that kill them often damage buffalo grass too.
Solution: For wintergrass, apply pre-emergent herbicides in autumn before germination. For established grass weeds, spot-treat with glyphosate (being very careful to avoid surrounding buffalo grass) or hand-remove. Improve lawn health to prevent future invasion.
Prevention Strategy
- Maintain thick, healthy grass through proper fertilisation and watering
- Mow at correct height (30-50mm) to shade out weed seedlings
- Apply pre-emergent herbicides in spring and autumn for chronic weed problems
- Address bare patches promptly before weeds colonise
Pest Problems
Beyond lawn grubs, several other pests can affect buffalo grass health.
African Black Beetle
Symptoms: Adults feed on grass leaves, creating irregular bare patches. Larvae (a type of curl grub) eat roots. Most active in summer.
Solution: Treat with lawn grub insecticides when larvae are present. Adult beetles can be reduced with insecticidal treatments, though controlling larvae is more effective long-term.
Two-Spotted Mites
Symptoms: Fine silvery stippling on leaves. More common during hot, dry conditions. Heavy infestations cause yellowing and thinning.
Solution: Increase watering to raise humidity at lawn level. Severe cases may require miticide application. Mites often decline naturally when conditions change.
Billbugs
Symptoms: Yellowing patches that progress to brown. Sawdust-like frass visible at the base of plants. Larvae tunnel into stems.
Solution: Apply systemic insecticides that target billbug larvae. Maintain lawn health to tolerate minor damage. Heavy infestations may require professional treatment.
Healthy, well-maintained lawns can tolerate minor pest populations without visible damage. Focus on overall lawn health rather than trying to eliminate every insect. Treatment should be reserved for infestations causing actual damage.
Thatch Problems
Thatch is a layer of dead and living organic material between the green grass blades and the soil surface. A thin thatch layer (under 15mm) is beneficial, providing insulation and protecting the crown. Excessive thatch, however, creates problems.
Symptoms of Excessive Thatch
- Spongy feel when walking on the lawn
- Water runs off instead of penetrating
- Scalping during mowing because mower sinks into thatch
- Increased pest and disease problems
- Shallow root development
Causes
Excessive nitrogen fertilisation, overwatering, and infrequent mowing promote rapid growth that outpaces decomposition. Contrary to myth, grass clippings don't significantly contribute to thatch - they decompose quickly.
Solution
For mild thatch (15-20mm), core aeration followed by top-dressing with sandy loam helps. For severe thatch (over 25mm), mechanical dethatching using a vertical mower or power rake removes excess material. Perform dethatching in early autumn when the grass has time to recover before winter. Follow with fertilisation and watering to promote recovery.
Compaction Issues
Soil compaction restricts water infiltration, air exchange, and root growth. It's common in high-traffic areas and on clay soils.
Symptoms
- Water pooling or running off rather than soaking in
- Hard soil surface that's difficult to penetrate with a screwdriver
- Thin, struggling grass in traffic areas
- Shallow root development
Solution
Core aeration removes plugs of soil, creating channels for air, water, and roots. Hire or purchase a core aerator and process the lawn in a grid pattern. Best performed in spring or autumn when soil is moist but not wet. For severe compaction, follow aeration with gypsum application and top-dressing with quality lawn soil.
Shade-Related Problems
While buffalo grass tolerates shade better than most turf types, it still requires some sunlight to thrive. Grass in heavy shade becomes thin, leggy, and prone to disease.
Improving Shade Tolerance
- Prune trees: Thin canopy to increase light penetration without removing trees entirely
- Raise mowing height: Taller grass captures more light with available leaf surface
- Reduce traffic: Shade-stressed grass recovers slowly from wear
- Fertilise carefully: Shade grass needs less nitrogen; excess promotes soft growth prone to disease
- Consider variety: Palmetto buffalo offers superior shade tolerance for problem areas
Some areas simply don't receive enough light for any grass to thrive (less than 2-3 hours daily). Rather than fighting nature, consider replacing grass with shade-tolerant groundcovers, mulch, or paving in these locations.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Nitrogen Deficiency
Symptoms: Overall pale green to yellow colour, starting with older leaves. Slow growth.
Solution: Apply a balanced lawn fertiliser. Response is usually rapid - expect greening within 1-2 weeks.
Iron Deficiency (Chlorosis)
Symptoms: Yellow leaves with green veins, particularly in new growth. Often occurs in alkaline soils where iron becomes unavailable.
Solution: Apply iron sulphate or a chelated iron product. For long-term correction, lower soil pH with sulphur if it exceeds 7.5.
General Poor Colour
Symptoms: Dull, off-colour appearance despite adequate water.
Solution: Conduct a soil test to identify specific deficiencies. Apply a complete fertiliser or targeted supplements based on results.
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
Most lawn problems can be prevented through consistent, appropriate care:
- Water deeply and infrequently to promote deep roots
- Mow at correct height with sharp blades
- Fertilise appropriately for your variety and conditions
- Aerate annually if soil compaction is likely
- Address problems early before they spread
A healthy, well-maintained lawn naturally resists most pests, diseases, and weeds. When problems do occur, early intervention prevents minor issues from becoming major ones. Take time regularly to walk across your lawn, observing its condition and catching problems before they escalate.