Sir Walter - Buffalo
Scientific name
Stenotaphrum secundatum
Other names
Species common name
Buffalo grass or Soft Leaf Buffalo (Australia)
St Augustinegrass (USA)
Cultivar name
Sir Walter
Origin
A spontaneous mutation of ´Shademaster´, selected by Brent Redman in the Hunter Valley (Bolwarra), NSW
Global growing areas
Available from licensed commercial growers in Australia who belong to the Sir Walter Group. No international licensing.
IP protection
Australian PBR certificate #1028 (granted 27 March 1998)
Details
- Texture: Coarse
- Description: Mid-green leaves (blade and sheath), red-purple stolons. Leaf width 6.5-9 mm (data from PBR growing trial). Rapid lateral stolon growth. The internodes are medium-long (mean 64.7 mm) and shoots develop from the nodes (Duff, A. et al, 2009).
- Use: Lawns (residential/commercial/industrial), parkland
- Mowing height: Summer: 30-50 mm, Winter or shaded conditions: 40-55 mm
- Method of propagation: Vegetative sod, sprigging of stolons
- Preferred soil types: Best on sandy loams, pH 5.2 to 7.5 preferred. Tolerance range pH 4.6 to 8.1. Not tolerant of water logging.
Comments:
Vigorous in subtropical and tropical areas, requiring weekly mowing to avoid scalping.
Soft leaf texture
Tolerances
- Heat: Excellent, in high and low humidity areas, but grows best at moderate temperatures between 20°C and 30°C.
- Cold: Good. Survives normal frosts under Australian conditions. Selected for winter colour retention, does not purple or become straw-coloured at lower temperatures.
- Shade: Can withstand shading under trees. Requires 30-100% sunlight.
- Drought: Medium plus. Deep root system and less leaf water loss compared to some other soft-leaf buffalo grasses.
- Salinity: Medium salinity tolerance compared with the range of available warm season turf grass cultivars.
- Wear: Medium. Not recommended for high traffic areas. Better wear tolerance than sweet smother, kikuyu and ‘Wintergreen’ green couch in 50% shade (Duff, A. et. al., 2006). Regrows quickly, but needs a recovery time to repair damage. Further study of performance in full sun is required.
- Herbicide sensitivity: Sensitive to many of the herbicides used for the management of green couch. Use only registered herbicides in accordance with the label that are safe for soft leaf buffalo grass. Avoid herbicides containing DSMA and MSMA.
- Pests and diseases: The relative tolerance of individual soft leaf buffalo grass cultivars to common pests of the species is yet to be determined. In general Stenotaphrum secundatum is susceptible to army worm, sod webworm, crickets, black beetles and fungal diseases.
Photos used on this page are not necessarily photos from DEEDI
For more information and updates on warm season turfgrasses, their production and management please go to http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/turf
For updates on Sir Walter please go to http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/26_16898.htm
