ST-85 Buffalo - Turf Grass

Scientific name: Stenotaphrum secundatum.

Buffalo Turf grass is the common name in Australia, and it is otherwise known as St Augustine grass in North America.

Origin: AUSFINE (ST-85) is a hybridized improved turfgrass variety of the shade tolerant species Stenotaphrum Secundatum (“Buffalograss”) owned by an American, Hugh Whiting, and developed by his company H&T Whiting Turf grass Development. Australia Patent No. 643567.

Characteristics of ST-85 AUSFINE:

• Attractive emerald green colour.
• Soft fine leaf with dense textured surface.
• Excellent shade tolerance.
• Low maintenance due to its semi-dwarf characteristics.
• Ideal for semi-shady lawns and where high quality turf grass appearance is desired.
• High wear tolerance, medium growth rate Semi Dwarf AUSFINE ST-85 is a finer textured, Buffalo grass than ST-26, and is renowned for its ability to withstand semi-shade under trees. Its wear tolerance is greater than ST-91.

Overview

ST-85 Soft Leaf Buffalo is the proven pioneer of soft leaf buffalo’s, and has gained an excellent reputation with over ten years of production in Australia. With slow to medium growth, ST-85 has an abundance of lush green semi dwarf leaves on a patchwork of fine runners creating a soft dense carpet. Retains colour in winter in domestic situations however we would not recommend ST-85 in frost prone regions. Requires minimal maintenance after establishment, can tolerate moderate to high shade and also enjoys full sun. A good all rounder with distinguished appearance, yet durable. ST-85 is a less invasive lawn compared to other varieties. ST-85 AUSTFINE is a fine-leafed semi dwarf buffalo grass that has a very attractive emerald green colour from Spring through Summer to Autumn. It makes a tightly matted, low-maintenance lawn of which any home owner would be proud. The members of the ST Growers Group are licensed by H & T Whiting Turfgrass Development to grow and sell the ST-Family of Lawns bred by them in Perth for Australian Conditions. ST-26, ST-85 and ST-91 soft leaf buffalo grasses have been bred for slow growing - requiring less mowing, watering and fertiliser. They have excellent shade tolerance, winter dormancy resistance and consistent deep green colour.

Maintenance Tips

• Mowing: ST-85 AUSFINE Buffalo grass, due to its semi-dwarf growth characteristics, can be mown lower than the common coarse varieties of Buffalo grass. The recommended mowing height for AUSFINE is 4 to 5 cm (11/2 to 2 inches) using a rotary or cylinder mower with sharp, correctly adjusted blades.
• Watering: It is recommended to water AUSFINE Buffalo grass with infrequent deep watering. The objective in correct watering is to water adequately and deeply enough being aware the root system may be as deep as 0.5 m (1 1/2 feet) or even 1 m (3 feet). Frequency of watering will depend on the seasons. In summer, more frequent watering will be required. Frequent light watering is not recommended (unless in the early stages of establishment) as this type of watering encourages a shallow root system which makes the grass more susceptible to drought, weed invasion, and disease.
• Fertilisation: ST-85 is a low nutrition turf grass requiring less fertilisation. Fertilise AUSFINE in the autumn months and early spring with a turf grade quality fertiliser. No other fertilisation is recommended. Research has demonstrated that over fertilisation produces a soft lush turf grass surface with excessive thatch buildup making the grass tissue more susceptible to disease. This excessive thatch buildup from over fertilisation significantly reduces turf grass quality. Fertilising in hot humid conditions is to be avoided as his can also produce a soft grass leaf tissue that is more susceptible to disease.
  

• Herbicides: Out of all the Buffalo varieties, the ST varieties are very intolerant of lawn herbicides that are used to control broadleaf weeds. These herbicides, including Chemspray’s Bin-Die, are registered as being safe to use on all Buffalo grasses. However, experience shows that the ST Buffalo varieties exhibit leaf damage (and even death) to the turf grass where spraying was carried out.

Detailed Review - The Buffalo Grass Review

The Buffalo Grass Review Site: Prior to the introduction of Palmetto, Sir Walter and Sapphire, this was probably the best Buffalo grass available for your lawn. Now it just does not cut it. It goes purple or brown very quickly in winter, but worst of all it is prone to problems that cause drop out, leaving your lawn with holes in it, which take a long time to recover. It is one of the first types of lawn turf to shrivel in the dry. It appears to have a much shallower root system, giving it less drought tolerance than other grass varieties. It is hard to find solid information about this grass, but on one of the ST-85 grower’s web sites, it was rated only fair for hot weather tolerance, whilst the same grower rated Palmetto as very good for hot weather tolerance. ST-85 has problems with some chemicals. Some chemicals even list ST-85 on their label saying, ‘Varietal difference in certain Buffalo grasses (e.g. ST-85) may produce more pronounced effects’. It was probably one of the worst performing Buffalo types in Australian research. On the plus side it requires less lawn mowing like Palmetto, but that really is this grass’ main benefit.

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