Soft Leaf | Outstanding Winter Colour | Great Shade Tolerance | Less Mowing | Drought Resistant |
Great at Outcompeting Weeds | Low Allergenic | Less Thatch | Good Wear Recovery | Disease and Pest Tolerance

Soft Leaf

Palmetto Buffalo grass has a very soft leaf, and unlike older traditional scratchy Buffalo lawns, is not likely to irritate tender young kids.

Above are microscopic photos of Palmetto (left) and common Buffalo (right) taken by Peter Kichington. Palmetto doesn't have any scratchy barbs down the leaf, which is why it is so soft. The Common Buffalo, on the other hand, does have barbs, which is why it doesn't feel soft.

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Outstanding Winter Colour

Palmetto Buffalo grass (middle) has outstanding winter colour. Side by side comparisons on many of our growers farms over the last few years have shown that when it gets cold in winter, most other Buffalos don't stay as green as Palmetto.

Palmetto, on average, has 75.5% better winter colour than other buffalo grass types in research (see turf research).

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Great Shade Tolerance

Palmetto Buffalo grass performs well in full sun, yet thrives in shaded areas where other grasses fail. A Palmetto Buffalo lawn requires 2 to 4 hours of direct sunlight. No grass can survive in extreme shade, but Palmetto is better than others. Palmetto has the best winter active growth, so it is less likely to drop out in shaded areas in winter. Palmetto is recommended for up to 65% shade in areas with low wear and up to 45% shade in areas with moderate to high wear.

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Less Mowing

Unlike some other rapidly upward growing Buffalos, Palmetto Buffalo Grass needs less mowing. Although Palmetto Buffalo Grass grows across the ground at a fast rate, its upward leaf growth is less than most other Buffalo grass varieties. One of the main reasons people buy Buffalo is that it requires less mowing. Ask for a Buffalo grass like Palmetto, one that grows fast across the ground for better wear tolerance, but one that grows more slowly upwards for less mowing. In fact, we believe Palmetto is the only Buffalo grass on the Australian market that does this.

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Drought Resistant

Palmetto has a massive deep root system, making it more drought resistant. Palmetto Buffalo Grass is the efficient water user and it stays greener for longer in dry conditions, making it the most likely lawn of all to stay green all year round. Palmetto Buffalo Turf is a winter green and summer green grass.

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Great At Outcompeting Weeds

Once Palmetto Buffalo grass is well established, its dense growth makes it much harder for weeds to establish. As Palmetto actively grows in most areas in winter, it is less likely to allow weeds to invade. This is the time when many other forms of Buffalo grass develop weed problems. Of course, occasionally weeds can develop in a Palmetto buffalo lawn, and if in the unlikely event this occurs, please follow our maintenance guide.

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Low Allergenic

Palmetto Buffalo turf is great news for people with allergies. Seed heads on grass can cause allergies, so it is good to know that Palmetto has less seed head. In a full year trial at Richmond, Palmetto had an average of 40% less seed head than other popular Buffalo varieties (see research).

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Less Thatch

Palmetto Buffalo Grass is known for its ability to create a dense sward without major thatch problems. Just walk on a mature Palmetto buffalo lawn and notice the difference compared to a common soft leaf Buffalo lawn. The common soft leaf Buffalo lawn will be very spongy, whilst in comparison, the Palmetto will be far less thatching. Palmetto Buffalo Grass rarely scalps when being mown, allowing people to almost always have a green lawn.

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Good Wear Recovery

Palmetto® Buffalo grass has good growth across the ground. Its runners are highly branching, which provides good recovery from wear. For an area that will have a lot of wear e.g. kids or big dogs, Sapphire® Buffalo is recommended as it grows faster. Palmetto® Buffalo is still a better choice for lower maintenance.

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Disease and Pest Tolerance

Palmetto Buffalo grass has good tolerance to gray leaf spot and other diseases and is more resistant to pests such as lawn grub. As with any natural product, problems can occasionally occur. If they do occur, please consult our maintenance guide, or seek expert advice.

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