If you are thinking about a new roll-on lawn or already have lawn and are looking for some information on the care and maintenance of your lawn there is some very useful information in this brochure.
Installing and caring for a warm season turfgrass lawn In WA
Natural lawns provide a safe, hazard free ground cover for gardens and public open spaces and are a far cooler alternative to most hard surfaces. A natural lawn is considered a staple for WA homes and is often the first element considered when creating a new garden. To successfully maintain a green lawn in our drying climate and with current watering restrictions it will take some effort on your part to successfully achieve this.
It is vital that you properly install a warm season turf grass.
This means that prior to installation of your turf that;
• You amend your soil (turn your sand into soil)
• Properly install irrigation
• Apply a wetting agent (and water retainer)
• Apply an organic fertilser
‘Every day approx 50m2 of living lawn provides all the oxygen needed by one person for a day’
Turf options
Installing a warm season turf grass correctly can not only help you to save money on watering, it will also help cool your home and our environment. When selecting a turf for your home, look for a hardy warm season turf grass.
The following varieties have been identified as having good drought tolerance and are suitable for Western Australia’s warm conditions:
Soft Leaf Buffalo grasses
• Soft leaf – Non-irritant • Disease weed and fungus resistant • Low allergy • Low to medium invasiveness • Low maintenance level • Moderate to good wear, recuperative self repairing and green-up rate • Requires minimum 2 hours direct sunlight daily • Drought tolerant
• Grows in sandy soils and clays Soft leaf Buffalos should ideally be mown every 7 – 10 days at a height of approx. 15-20mm during summer and in winter mow every 3-5 weeks at a similar height. We recommend applying a quality wetting agent and/or retainer (preferably three times a year at the beginning of summer, mid-summer and early spring) will improve water penetration and retention in the soil.
Couch Grasses
• Soft leaf – Non-irritant • Moderately invasive • Moderate maintenance required • Excellent wear, recuperative and green up rate • Disease and pest resistant • Requires minimum 4-5 hours direct sunlight daily • Drought tolerant
• Grows in sandy soils and clays Couch grasses should ideally be mown every 10-14 days at a height of approx. 10 – 12mm during summer and in winter mow every 3-5 weeks raising the mowing height to approx. 12-16mm. An even ground is important and annual to biannual scarifying might be necessary, ideally during the spring months. We recommend applying a quality wetting agent and/or retainer (preferably three times a year at the beginning of summer, mid-summer and early spring) will improve water penetration and retention in the soil.
Kikuyu Grasses
• Soft leaf – Low irritant • Medium maintenance due to invasive nature • High thatching if not mown regularly • Excellent wear, recuperative and green-up rate • Excellent disease and pest resistance • Kikuyu Turf requires minimum 5-6 hours direct sunlight daily • Drought resistant
• Grows in sandy soils and clays Kikuyu Turf should ideally be mown every 10-14 days at a height of approx. 12-16mm during summer and in winter mow every 3-5 weeks and raise the mowing height to approx. 16-20mm. We recommend applying a quality wetting agent and/or retainer (preferably three times a year at the beginning of summer, mid-summer and early spring) will improve water penetration and retention in the soil.
Zoysia Grasses
• Soft leaf – Non-irritant
• Excellent resistance to weeds, pests and diseases
• Excellent cold hardiness
• Easy weed control
• Low water usage
• Less mowing
• Drought tolerant
• Grows in sandy soils and clays Zoysia should ideally be mown every 14 – 21 days at a height of approx. 15-20mm during summer and in winter mow every 3-5 weeks at a similar height. We recommend applying a quality wetting agent and/or retainer (preferably three times a year at the beginning of summer, mid-summer and early spring) will improve water penetration and retention in the soil.
Queensland Blue
• Soft leaf – Non-irritant Non-Invasive
• Low maintenance
• Excellent resistance to weeds, pests and diseases
• Less thatch
• Immaculate Appearance and colour
• Requires 5-6 hours of sunlight per day
• Drought tolerant
• Grows in sandy soils and clays Queensland Blue should ideally be mown every 10-14 days at a height of approx.10-13mm during summer and in winter mow every 4-5 weeks and raise the mowing height to approx. 14-16mm. Verti-mowing or scarifying in spring is recommended every 2-3 years. We recommend applying a quality wetting agent and/or retainer (preferably three times a year at the beginning of summer, mid-summer and early spring) will improve water penetration and retention in the soil.
Velvetene™
• Grows in clay or sandy soils
• Soft leaves provide a non-itching surface
• Non-invasive to garden beds.
• Grows in full sun or with a minimum of 4 hours sun and tolerates filtered shade areas
• Outstanding deep colour with minimal fertiliser
• Grows in a wide range of soils from pH 4 to 9.5
• Can be maintained with poor quality water sources
• Tolerates high salt environments
• Environmentally friendly Velvetene™ should ideally be mown every 7 – 14 days at a height of approx. 10 – 12mm during summer and in winter mowing every 21 – 35 days at a height of approx. 15 – 18mm. Apply fertiliser in Spring and Autumn height 15 – 18mm. Applying a quality wetting agent or retainer at least twice a
INSTALLING OPEN SPACE TURF AND LAWNS
We recommend the following steps be taken when planting your lawn:
1. Install adequate, quality irrigation – You will need to design and install an efficient irrigation system. A Waterwise Irrigation Specialist can provide advice, or design and install a system, to ensure your new lawn will receive the right amount of water on your sprinkler roster day. Remember to retain uniformity with sprinkler types. Undertake a catch cup test immediately after installation to ensure that 10mm of water is being delivered per watering session.
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West Coast Turf 