Everything You Need to Know About Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo

Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo lawns have contributed to more than a million Australian backyards. One of the best options for Australian homes continues to be the well-known brand, which has stood the test of time. This grass thrives in the Australian climate thanks to its tolerance to drought, low maintenance needs, soft texture, and high wear durability.

But where did Sir Walter DNA Certified come from?

The Sir Walter Story

Brent Redman is a second-generation turf farmer from here in the Hunter Valley, NSW, and is the owner of Buchanan Turf Supplies. Brent began turf cutting in the late 70’s. By the mid-80’s he had purchased 20 acres here in the rich river flats of Maitland.

At the time buffalo was just buffalo and Brent ended up trialling 5 different varieties within a 2-acre plot.

Many turf farmers were having struggles with their buffalo, but Brent realised he was not facing these same troubles with one of the buffalo varieties he had growing on his farm and offered some samples to trial for their farms.

As this buffalo continued to grow on Brent’s farm, a small area was found to be growing which was even better, maintaining a greener winter colour, and a healthier root system and it was taking over the existing buffalo.

Brent noticed the potential of this new variety and began propagating the grass to protect the purity and integrity of the variety. A variety that would soon become known as Sir Walter.

Where did the Sir Walter name come from?

This grass was named to reflect the qualities that the grass possesses. Initially the acronym ‘WALT’ was created, standing for ‘Winter Active, Low Thatch’.

It was also decided to add a reference to the significant environmental benefits of the grass, with the addition of the ER for ‘Environmentally Responsible’.

A grass this good needed to be anointed, with a symbolic ‘knighting’ and the Sir prefix added to honour the exceptional qualities of the grass.

S I R
W inter
A ctive
L ow
T hatch
E nvironmentally
R esponsible

The rest is history as they say, with it being expanded and produced right across Australia. Sir Walter today is an ‘Iconically Aussie’ brand and is undoubtedly the most successful commercial turf variety in Australian history.

As a result of this success deception and substitution by competitors has occurred. Many varieties over the years have claimed to be ‘just like’, ‘same as’ or ‘bred from’. It’s important you know what to look for when buying Sir Walter Buffalo.

How do I know the Sir Walter I am buying is genuine?

Sir Walter supplied by accredited and licensed suppliers is now known as Sir Walter DNA Certified. This extension of the name was developed to provide the assurance to consumers that the Sir Walter they are buying is DNA tested.

This turf matches the original breeder Sir Walter plant material bred at Brent Redmans farm developed over 20 years ago. Genuine Sir Walter DNA Certified is only available from accredited Lawn Solutions Australia Members like Turfco. Turfco grows ‘Breeder Guaranteed’ Sir Walter DNA Certified.

In late 2015, Lawn Solutions Australia (LSA), commenced an extensive DNA testing process with its members to further ensure the Sir Walter Buffalo turf that is produced and sold by LSA members is the genuine, high-quality turf product that Australians know and trust. With every Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo Grass purchase, no matter how big or small, you will be issued a Certificate of Authenticity. This certificate is your guarantee that you are receiving genuine Sir Walter.

A proven shade and DROUGHT-TOLERANT grass

Why have a brown lawn during summer when a lush green, drought-tolerant lawn like Sir Walter Buffalo can make you the envy of your street?

Buffalo lawns are more shade tolerant than other varieties because of their broad leaves which photosynthesise well. Among the Buffalo varieties, Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo grass is among the very best performers in shady areas and can thrive with as little as three hours of sunlight per day.

Sir Walter Buffalo Establishment

We recommend using a topsoil (turf underlay) mix of 80% washed river sand & 20% soil at a depth of 100-150mm to assist in a quicker establishment. The more you have of this topsoil the better the lawn will perform!

Sir Walter Buffalo is a relatively fast-growing lawn so it can only take around 2-3 weeks of warm season growing conditions to fully establish.

It’s important to test the root establishment before your first mow or prior to allowing regular foot traffic across the area. We recommend gently tugging at the top of the turf. If there is a lot of resistance, it means the roots have successfully taken to the soil beneath. If you find the turf still comes away from the soil with ease, you may need to give your lawn a few more days/week of growing.

Sir Walter maintenance

Sir Walter grows a deep root system that needs little water to thrive. Although, during the first 2-3 weeks of growth, Sir Walter Buffalo will require at least twice daily, deep water applications. After these initial weeks post-installation, the watering regime can be gradually reduced to once or twice a week. This will depend on the climate and time of year. However, even in times of drought, Sir Walter’s roots rarely dry out.

You can mow Sir Walter Buffalo anywhere between 20-40mm in length.

We encourage regular mowing to promote tight-knit, lateral growth. Consistent mowing will improve the overall health of a lawn; improving its wear tolerance, and its resistance to weeds & pests.

Fertilising Sir Walter

We recommend fertilising a Sir Walter at least 3 times per year. Important dates are late spring, mid to late summer and late autumn. Sir Walter Buffalo grass requires little maintenance, but if you don’t fertilise regularly, your lawn will lose its health and natural green colour.

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS SIR Walter SEED? HOW IS SIR WALTER DNA CERTIFIED GROWN?

All great Aussie lawns like Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo are male-sterile and cannot be grown from seed.

On our farm, turf paddocks have to be planted with Stolons or Runners, not by seed. To do this, mature turf cuts are fed into a Sprig Planting Machine where they are chopped up and periodically distributed into the soil. Afterwards, a roller is sent across the paddock to further embedded these Runners in the soil. The entire area is then irrigated, fertilised and very well cared for over the next few months.

The Stolons and Runners eventually grow laterally with a root system establishing down into the soil, which allows the turf to reach full maturity and fill an entire paddock. It’s at this point the paddock is ready to be harvested and become a lucky customer’s new home lawn!