Choose buffalo if your yard has shade, and couch if it gets full sun all day and takes a beating. That's the dividing line in the range from Australian Lawn Concepts & Glenview Turf (ALC): its buffalo varieties, Sir Walter and Sapphire, need as little as 2-3 hours of direct sun, while couch varieties, Wintergreen Couch and IronCutter, want full sun and give very high wear tolerance in return. This post compares the four so you can match one to your yard.
The buffalo varieties
Buffalo is ALC's pick for a shady yard or a family backyard.
Sir Walter Buffalo Grass has a broad, deep-green leaf that's soft to the touch and stays beautiful all year round. Widely considered the benchmark for shade-tolerant turf in Australia, thriving on as little as 2-3 hours of direct sun a day. It's pet-friendly, non-prickly and recovers well from wear.
Sapphire Soft Leaf Buffalo is the only finer-textured buffalo, with shade tolerance of up to 70%. Its deep-green colour has a subtle tinge of blue, and ALC calls it the softest buffalo, with high wear tolerance and quick recovery. It's dense and low-thatch, with high weed resistance and strong winter colour if fertilised in the month or two before cooler weather.
The couch varieties
Couch is ALC's pick for full sun and high traffic. Both varieties below have low shade tolerance.
Wintergreen Couch is the basic couch option for full-sun areas, with a lush green colour and fine leaf blades that are soft to the touch. It is not shade tolerant and needs 7-8 hours of direct sunlight a day. Wintergreen Couch is hard wearing with good drought tolerance, giving a nice finish if it's looked after with fertilising, watering, weeding and mowing. It is Brisbane's budget-friendly turf, at about half the price of premium varieties.
IronCutter Elite Hybrid Bermudagrass is ALC's premium couch. It's elegant and durable, with minimal thatching and a vibrant deep green colour, and rated for its wear tolerance as the best in its range. It's built for high-traffic areas where kids, pets and backyard cricket take their toll. IronCutter Elite Hybrid Bermudagrass has a finer leaf, less thatch, less seed head and lower maintenance than many bermudagrasses on the Australian market.
Buffalo and couch side by side
Variety Type Shade tolerance Wear tolerance Maintenance
Sir Walter Buffalo Very high (2-3 hours of sun) High Medium
Sapphire Buffalo Excellent (up to 70%) High Medium-low
Wintergreen Couch Couch Low (needs 7-8 hours of sun) Very high High
IronCutter Couch Low The best Moderate to high
How to choose
• Trees, fences or patchy light: Sir Walter needs only 2-3 hours of full sun a day, and Sapphire is the pick for a really shady yard.
• All-day sun, no shade at all: Wintergreen needs 7-8 hours of direct sun, and IronCutter's shade tolerance is rated as low.
• Kids, pets and bare feet: Sir Walter is described as a great all-rounder for kids, pets and bare feet. Sapphire is the softest buffalo.
• Heavy traffic and backyard sport: IronCutter, which is rated as having the best wear tolerance in its range, or Wintergreen, rated very high.
• Tight budget and full sun: Wintergreen Couch is ALC's budget option, at about half the price of premium varieties.
• A refined, deep-green look: Sapphire for its finer leaf and blue-green tinge, or IronCutter for its deep green colour.
• Less work: Sir Walter's maintenance is rated as medium and Sapphire's as medium-low, against high for Wintergreen.
Laying and caring for your new lawn
Spring is a great time to lay a new lawn, because warm-season grasses love the lift in soil temperature and get months of growing weather to establish deep roots before midsummer. Buffalo can also be laid year-round, with spring and early autumn ideal.
1. Prepare the soil. Clear weeds and debris, level the area, and add a quality soil or sandy loam where needed.
2. Lay on delivery day. Fresh turf is a living product. Stagger the joins like brickwork and keep edges tight.
3. Water straight away. Give it a thorough soak, then at least 25mm daily for the first 2-3 weeks, keeping soil moist but not flooded.
4. Hold off on mowing until the turf has rooted and you feel resistance when you gently tug a corner. For Sir Walter, mow about weekly in summer and no shorter than 50mm.
5. Wait before heavy use. Light foot traffic is fine after 2-3 weeks, but allow 4-6 weeks for full establishment.
Couch rewards regular care. Wintergreen produces a nice finish if it's looked after with fertilising, watering, weeding and mowing. For patch-ups later, each variety is available as a small Lawn Block.
The verdict
Pick buffalo (Sir Walter or Sapphire) if your yard has any real shade, or you want a soft, lower-maintenance family lawn. Pick couch if the whole yard gets full sun: Wintergreen if budget matters most, IronCutter if you want the toughest, deepest-green lawn in ALC's range.
ALC's lawn experts can recommend a variety based on how you use your lawn and your conditions. Call 07 5541 7000 (Boyland) or 07 5494 5616 (Glenview) by 1pm for next-day delivery, subject to availability in peak periods.