Best Lawn Varieties for Southern WA

 

The stunning southern areas of Western Australia are blessed with great weather and soil conditions perfect for growing lawn. Unlike northern or central areas of the state, most lawn varieties will grow reasonably well “down south.”

There are, however, some grass types which will be more successful than others, and ones which will suit individual lawn-growers better than others. Whether you’re looking for a simple bit of low maintenance ground cover for your Dunsborough yard, or a manicured delight to make all of your neighbours in Albany jealous, we’ve got the right option for you.

Kikuyu

Kikuyu is almost impossible to get wrong. Even the blackest of thumbs will be able to grow a kikuyu lawn. It’s drought resistant, pest resistant, heat tolerant, and withstands the roughest of wear and tear. It’s also nice on the eye and soft to the touch, making it a great option for families who make good use out of their yard, whether that’s with pets, barbecues, or play time.

Kikuyu’s raging success is also its biggest flaw. You’ve got to keep an eye on your kikuyu lawn to make sure it doesn’t grow too well. It has a tendency to get into areas of the garden that you don’t want lawn to spread, and needs frequent mowing to keep its length down.

Therefore, kikuyu is a great lawn variety for residents of southern WA who are looking for a hardy lawn that will withstand harsh winters and rambunctious families, but are also willing to put in the extra bit of time and effort to keep the grass under control.

Zoysia

Zoysia has long been a favourite grass for hotter areas of Australia. Many places in southern Western Australia will experience mild enough climates to not worry about the summer sun killing off their precious garden. However, if you’re in one of those areas for which this needs to be the main consideration when choosing a grass type, zoysia is for you.

Zoysia will grow just about anywhere. It is great in sandy and saline soil, so it’s a great option for coastal properties or anyone who doesn’t have the most fertile of ground. It’s low maintenance and drought resistant and has the rare quality of loving the heat yet not demanding full sun. If big trees or structures causing large amounts of shade has been a problem for your lawns in the past, zoysia is a great choice.

On the flip side, don’t opt for zoysia if you’re in the far south of the state, or other regions which experience bitterly cold winters – zoysia won’t handle frost or extended periods of cold ground temperatures.

Couch

A perennial favourite for lawns all over Australia, you can never go wrong with couch grass. It’s low maintenance, heat loving, and hard wearing. It doesn’t, however, tolerate shade at all, and isn’t particularly pest resistant.

McKays Green Couch Grass Blend is one of the best lawn choices for southern Western Australia due to its addition of ryegrass. The cold weather loving ryegrass balances out the heat-loving couch grass and helps it through the winter months. The quick germinating ryegrass allows the slower growing couch grass to establish itself before it dies off in the summer, allowing the healthy and strong couch to come to the fore.

RTF Tall Fescue

Fescues are fabulous lawn varieties for the shadier, cooler areas of southern Western Australia. The unique conditions of southern Western Australia mean that lawns can face the simultaneous problems of cold winters and drought. RTF Tall Fescue is the perfect antidote.

The deep root system of this grass variety make it one of the most drought resistant lawn varieties on the market. It’s also a cool season grass, meaning it tolerates frost and shade better than many other grasses. Traditional fescues take a relatively long time to recover from wear and tear, but RTF Tall Fescue has runners which help it to withstand high traffic and self-repair from any damage.

RTF Tall Fescue can struggle with full sun exposure, especially in summer. With this in mind, RTF Tall Fescue is a lawn type best suited to colder areas and yards with big trees or other shade-providing structures.