Sir Walter buffalo is sold only as turf, and we supply Empire Zoysia and Wintergreen couch as turf too. Here is what shop "seed" really is, when seed makes sense, and what turf costs in SEQ.
No, you can’t buy Sir Walter seed. Sir Walter buffalo is sold only as turf, and we grow and supply Empire Zoysia and Wintergreen couch as turf too. Packets of “zoysia seed” or “couch seed” are common types, not these named varieties, and “buffalo grass seed” is often a different plant. Our turf is $15.50/m² for Sir Walter and Empire Zoysia and $7.00/m² for Wintergreen couch.
| Variety | Can you buy it as seed? | What a “seed” packet usually gets you instead | Hancey’s Turf price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Walter buffalo turf | No. Sold as turf only | Nothing labelled Sir Walter. “Buffalo seed” is often American buffalograss, a different plant | $15.50/m² |
| Empire Zoysia turf | We supply it as turf | “Zoysia seed” is generally a common Zoysia japonica type, not Empire | $15.50/m² |
| Wintergreen couch turf | We supply it as turf | Common couch seed (Cynodon dactylon), not the Wintergreen variety | $7.00/m² |
| Palmetto buffalo | No (turf only); discontinued at Hancey’s | Choose Sir Walter, our soft-leaf buffalo | See Sir Walter |
| “Buffalo grass seed” in shops | Yes, but check the botanical name | Often American buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides), not soft-leaf buffalo | Not a Hancey’s product |
No. Sir Walter is a protected variety that is only sold as turf. A named lawn variety is a particular plant with a particular look and habit: its leaf width, colour, shade tolerance and how it handles wear. Seed doesn’t always carry those traits across faithfully, and some grasses set very little viable seed in the first place. That’s why many premium lawn varieties are grown from runners rather than sown.
A turf farm plants runners of the variety, grows them into a dense mat of turf, then cuts it into rolls. Every roll is the same plant as the paddock it came from, which is how a variety stays true to type from one lawn to the next.
If you’ve chosen a variety for its looks or its shade tolerance, buy that variety as turf. A seed packet with a similar-sounding name isn’t the same variety. Still choosing? Our guide on how to choose the right turf is a good place to start.
The buffalo grass in Queensland lawns is soft-leaf buffalo, Stenotaphrum secundatum, and varieties like Sir Walter are grown from runners and sold as turf. Much of the seed sold as “buffalo grass seed” is American buffalograss, Bouteloua dactyloides. It’s a different species, native to the North American plains, with fine, grey-green leaves. It won’t give you the broad, soft, deep-green lawn you’re picturing.
Before you buy any seed, check the botanical name on the pack. If it doesn’t say Stenotaphrum, it isn’t soft-leaf buffalo. If you’re still deciding between varieties, our comparisons cover the differences that matter in SEQ yards: Empire Zoysia vs Sir Walter buffalo, kikuyu vs buffalo and couch vs kikuyu.
Where seed is a real option, such as common couch, here’s how it compares with turf in our climate.
Turf is a finished lawn the day it goes down. With good watering, it roots into the soil within a few weeks and can take light use soon after. Seed has to germinate, then grow and thicken before it can take foot traffic. For warm-season grasses that usually takes several months, and longer if sown late in the season. It only works when the soil is warm: sow in winter and very little happens.
A seedbed is bare soil for weeks, and weeds germinate just as fast as grass does. SEQ’s spring and summer storms add another problem: heavy rain can wash seed and topsoil off a freshly raked bed, especially on slopes and batters. Turf covers the soil straight away. That shades out most weed seed and holds the surface together in a downpour.
Seed usually costs less per square metre up front, and that’s its real advantage. When you compare, add up everything a seeded lawn needs, not just the packet:
Turf costs more on day one and usually less in follow-up. At Hancey’s, a 50 m² lawn works out like this for the turf alone, before delivery or installation:
Seed has to stay moist at the surface until it germinates, which often means light watering more than once a day in warm weather. Miss one hot, windy afternoon and the seedlings can dry out. New turf needs a thorough soak when it’s laid and regular watering while it roots, then you taper off. Our guide to watering new turf sets out a schedule.
We grow turf, but seed has its place:
If you want a specific variety like Sir Walter, Empire Zoysia or Wintergreen, or you need a usable yard this season, turf is the realistic route. Our step-by-step guide on how to lay turf shows what’s involved.
You don’t need seed to repair a Sir Walter, Empire or Wintergreen lawn. All three spread by runners, so a healthy lawn will creep back over small bare spots in the warmer months. Zoysia is slower to fill than buffalo or couch, so expect an Empire lawn to take longer. For bigger gaps:
Either way, fix the cause first, whether it’s shade, compaction, poor drainage, pests or wear. Otherwise the new grass will struggle in the same spot. If the patches are uneven or sunken, a light topdressing to level the lawn helps runners spread across the surface. If armyworm has stripped a large area, see armyworm in Queensland lawns for when to let it recover and when to re-turf.
Palmetto is also a soft-leaf buffalo, and like Sir Walter it’s grown as turf rather than from seed. We no longer supply Palmetto at Hancey’s. If you were after a soft, broad-leaf buffalo lawn, Sir Walter buffalo turf is our current soft-leaf buffalo and the closest option.
Our step-by-step guide on how to measure for turf covers awkward shapes. Once you have your number, the turf calculator prices it for Sir Walter, Empire Zoysia or Wintergreen. Warm soil makes a big difference to how fast turf roots, and our guide to the best time to lay turf in Queensland explains why.
No. Sir Walter is grown from runners and sold only as turf. Seed sold as “buffalo” is often a different grass. Sir Walter turf from Hancey’s is $15.50/m².
We grow and supply Empire Zoysia as turf, at $15.50/m². Seed sold simply as “zoysia seed” is generally a common Zoysia japonica type, not the Empire variety.
Common couch seed is available, but it isn’t the Wintergreen variety. We supply Wintergreen as turf at $7.00/m², cut to order at Woodford.
You can buy seed labelled “buffalo”, but it’s often American buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides). The soft-leaf buffalo varieties used in Queensland lawns, like Sir Walter, are sold as turf.
In Australia, buffalo grass usually means soft-leaf buffalo, Stenotaphrum secundatum. Sir Walter is one named variety of it, known for its soft, broad leaf and shade tolerance. Seed sold as “buffalo” in shops is often a different species altogether.
Sir Walter has a soft, broad leaf, handles shade and wear, and repairs itself with fast-growing runners. It costs more than couch ($15.50/m² vs $7.00/m²). Our Empire Zoysia vs Sir Walter comparison goes into more detail.
Yes. It spreads by runners and will fill small bare spots in the warmer months. For larger gaps, plug or patch-returf with Sir Walter turf, and fix the cause first.
Seed is usually cheaper up front. Once you add starter fertiliser, weed control, resowing, extra water and months without a usable yard, turf is often the better value, especially through SEQ’s storm season.
Many lawn grasses send up seed heads at certain times of year. It’s normal, and it doesn’t mean you can grow the variety from that seed. Regular mowing removes them.
Palmetto is a soft-leaf buffalo grown as turf, and it’s discontinued at Hancey’s. Sir Walter buffalo is our closest current option.
We’ve grown turf at Woodford since 1994. Every roll is cut to order, with turf delivery across Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. Put your measurements into the turf calculator to price Sir Walter, Empire Zoysia or Wintergreen. If you’d rather have it laid for you, ask us for a supply-and-install quote.
Ready to order turf?
Fresh-cut turf from our Woodford farm, delivered across Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. Work out your area and price in the turf calculator.
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