Choosing a type of lawn for your backyard is becoming a more involved decision as there are more turf varieties available. Perth is subject to water restrictions and the majority of our watering is dedicated to our green lawns, so this has become a major consideration when choosing a lawn for our backyards.
Buffalo Varieties
The new varieties of Buffalo, such as Sir Walter Soft Leaf, are not the prickly, irritating varieties that come to mind when we think of Buffalo grass. These new versions are softly textured and non-irritating with a good tolerance for shade and water resistance.
Buffalo has a beautiful, emerald green colour. If left to grow a little, this lawn looks softer in appearance but if a manicured look is desired you only need to mow the lawn around once every three or four weeks.
Bermuda
A very common grass in Western Australia as it has a high heat tolerance and needs very little water. It thrives in sunny areas as it has a lower shade tolerance than some other lawn varieties.
This grass unfortunately does not survive well in wetter areas as it also has a low tolerance for an abundance of water. The blades are smooth, pointed and dark green, with a ring of white hairs at the join of the blade and sheath of the grass.
Couch
This variety is ideal for Perth climates and is available in many different versions such as Wintergreen, Greenlees Park, Windsor Green and Santa Ana. All versions are very tolerant of the sun and heat and require very little water.
Greenlees Park is a blue/green variety while Windsor Green and Wintergreen are a medium green shade. Santa Ana is a slightly darker green shade and thrives in full sun.
Saltine
Saltine lawn uses a little more water than the Bermuda and Couch varieties but has an excellent heat tolerance. It prefers a full sun environment to a shady area although it can survive in less sunny areas.
This variety is perfect for soils with higher quantities saline. Saltine grass has quite a green colour, and should not be left to grow too long, as when it is eventually mowed it will be cut down to brown, dehydrated stems.
Kikuyu
This type of grass is very fast growing and dense, therefore needing more frequent watering than the other varieties. As it is naturally fast growing, it requires much less fertilizer than Couch and Bermuda grasses.
Kikuyu does not tolerate shade well, preferring full sun instead. Kikuyu has a lovely green colour but can turn a yellow-green without the regular application of nitrogen.