Removing couch from buffalo lawn areas is impossible without killing both the couch grass and the buffalo grass.

We need to go over some background information to explain why this is so.

Firstly in this particular scenario, the weed (defined as “any plant that is unwanted in a certain garden situation”) is the Couch grass. Couch grass (otherwise known as Bermuda Grass in North America) is known scientifically as Cynodon dactylon. The desired turf grass in this scenario is the buffalo grass (or St Augustine turf grass as it is referred to in North America). Buffalo, or St Augustine grass is scientifically known as Stenotaphrum secundatum.

There are two (2) types of lawn herbicides that can be used to control weeds in lawns. These herbicides include Non Selective herbicides and Selective herbicides.

Non selective herbicides are those herbicides that kill any plant that is sprayed with the herbicide chemical. Non selective herbicides such as Roundup (or Glyphosate as it is generically known, and currently there are many different versions of the same generic Glyphosate available world wide) can be sprayed on lawn weeds, however, the lawn area that is sprayed will die as well as the weeds in question.

Selective herbicides are those herbicides that target particular weeds in certain grasses. So, if you have dandelions and bindii in your buffalo lawn (or St Augustine grass as it is known in North America) then you must use a selective herbicide that is registered for that situation.

However, there are no selective herbicide products available that can selectively remove couch grass from buffalo grass, kikuyu grass and any other warm season grass for that matter.

So, in order to successfully remove couch grass (or Bermuda grass as it is referred to in North America) from Buffalo lawn you need to spray the couch infested area with a non-selective herbicide like Roundup. After the “couch grass” weed has died then replace that section with the appropriate variety of Buffalo grass.

A good tip when spraying the lawn area with Roundup to make sure it is a rectangular shape so you can match the new turf roll when replacing the dead patch.

Also, keep an eye out in the cooler months for couch grass (and for that matter, any other weed type grass like Kikuyu grass) in your Buffalo lawn. It is easier to detect these grasses in your buffalo at this time of the year.

By: Gerry Faehrmann