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Best hard wearing grass

 

FAST FACTS:

Hard-wearing varieties have:

  • A deep-rooted system
  • Quick recovery growth rate from wear and damage
  • A dense cushion layer to protect the lawn
  • A moderate thatch layer protecting the lawn from high traffic

A hard-wearing grass can tolerate the wear and tear of lots of traffic and quickly repairs when damaged.

Hard-wearing grasses are ideal for families wanting a place for children and dogs to play or where the lawn is used as a walkway.

 

Popular Hard Wearing Turf Types

Ideal hard-wearing grasses are Kikuyu, Couch, Buffalo and Zoysia.

  • Kikuyu Turf
  • Couch Turf
  • Buffalo Turf
  • Zoysia Turf

Hard Wearing Kikuyu Grasses

Kikuyu Turf breeds, such as Kenda Kikuyu, are some of the hardest wearing grasses on the market and can withstand heavy wear and tear.

Kikuyu grass can quickly repair itself from the worst possible damage. For this reason, Kikuyu is a good choice for lawns under the huge amounts of traffic stress, this is usually in yards where large, active and sometimes naughty dogs live.

Kenda Kikuyu

One of the most popular choices for many homeowners who want a hard-wearing grass is Kenda Kikuyu.

Behind Kenda Kikuyu’s strength is dense leaf coverage and a strong root system that grows vigorously.

Kenda Kikuyu is also the only grass that has extra-large prostrate runners and four times as many rhizomes compare to other Kikuyu, making it hard-wearing with an excellent recovery rate.

To maintain a hard-wearing lawn, mow your Kenda every 7-10 days during hot months and every 3-6 weeks during cooler months.

Deepwater your Kikuyu Kenda, when you notice the grass wilting, every 7-10 days and early in the morning between 7 am and 10 am.

Kenda Kikuyu Pricing & Suppliers

Kenda Kikuyu grows well in southern Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. Your local grower suppliers can easily be found with our online supplier locator tool.

Expect to pay between $7 and $11 per square metre. To get more Kenda Kikuyu pricing info, visit our Kenda Kikuyu info page and get 3 quotes from your local growers today.

Hard Wearing Couch Grasses

Couch Turf is another grass that has very high wear tolerance thanks to its fine leaf blade that produces a moderate thatch layer providing greater wearability and recovery.

Couch varieties such as OZTUFF® and Stadium® Sports have excellent wear and tear due to their robust deep-rooted system.

Oztuff Couch

Following a four-year study of different grass varieties, OZTUFF was ranked number one for wear tolerance.

OZTUFF’s hard wearing and fast recovery characteristics are due to the strength in its moderate thatch layer that protects the grass runners and stem growth.

To allow OZTUFF’s moderate thatch layer to develop in warmer months mow to a height of 25mm and in cooler conditions 30mm.

Fertiliser application will also increase the durability of OZTUFF Couch.

Water OZTUFF Couch when you notice the lawn browning off.

Infrequent deep watering of your OZTUFF Couch is recommended early in the morning.

OZTUFF Couch Pricing & Suppliers

Where it grows:  OZTUFF Couch is well-suited in Queensland, New South Wales, ACT and Victoria. Your local grower suppliers can easily be found with our online supplier locator tool.

Expect to pay: Between $8 and $10 per square metre. To get more OzTuff pricing info, visit our OzTuff information page and get 3 quotes from your local growers today.

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Stadium Sports Couch

Stadium Sports Couch has been bred to tolerate very high traffic areas – such as sporting fields and backyards with active children and dogs.

Stadium Couch’s fast aggressive runner growth and a good dense stolon base allows it to quickly recover from damage and wear.

The mowing height for Stadium Sports Couch will vary from between 10mm to 30mm depending on the amount of traffic.

Water your Stadium Sports Couch thoroughly only when need or when a slight wilting is visible.

Always water your Stadium Sports Couch early in the morning and deeply but infrequently.

Stadium Couch Pricing & Suppliers

Where it grows: Stadium Sports Couch grows well in Queensland, New South Wales, ACT and Victoria. Your local Grower suppliers can easily be found with our online supplier locator tool.

Expect to pay: Between $8 and $10 per square metre. To get more Stadium Couch pricing info, visit our Stadium® Sports Couch info page and get 3 quotes from your local growers today.

Hard Wearing Buffalo Grasses

Buffalo grass is also a hard-wearing due to deep roots, and fast-growing stolons and runners that enable quick recovery from wear. 

Buffalo grasses, such as Prestige, Sapphire Soft Leaf or Palmetto, all have above-ground stems as well as a deep root system that assists with efficient repair following lots of activity.

Prestige Buffalo

Prestige Buffalo’s deep-rooted system means it is a hard-wearing grass suitable for lots of wear and tear from active children and dogs.

To give your Prestige more protection from activity mow to a level of 45mm in sunny conditions every 7-10 days.

During cooler months mow your Prestige to about 60mm every 3-6 weeks.

Remember to water your Prestige Buffalo deeply every 7-10 days.

Prestige Buffalo Pricing & Suppliers

Where it grows: Prestige Soft Leaf Buffalo is well-suited for most parts of Australia including much of Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. Your local Grower suppliers can easily be found with our online supplier locator tool.

Expect to pay: Between $13 and $16.50 per square metre. To get more Prestige Buffalo pricing info, visit our Prestige Buffalo info page and get 3 quotes from your local growers today.

Sapphire Soft Leaf Buffalo

As with most Buffalo varieties, Sapphire Soft Leaf is a highly durable robust lawn that is ideal for dogs and children.

Sapphire Soft Leaf Buffalo also has a rapid recovery rate from any wear or damaged areas on your grass.

Mow your Sapphire Soft Leaf Buffalo to a height of 45mm in sunny sites and up to 60mm in shaded areas.

Infrequent deep watering of Sapphire Soft Leaf Buffalo should occur early in the morning.

Sapphire Buffalo Pricing & Suppliers

Where it grows: Prestige Soft Leaf Buffalo is well-suited for most parts of Australia including much of Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. Your local Grower suppliers can easily be found with our online supplier locator tool.

Expect to pay: Between $10 and $15 per square metre. To get more Sapphire Buffalo pricing info, visit our Sapphire Buffalo info page and get 3 quotes from your local Sapphire growers today.

Palmetto Buffalo

One of the most dog-friendly, hardwearing Buffalo varieties is Palmetto.

Palmetto Buffalo’s durability is because of its large deep-rooted system that makes it an excellent dense lawn with strong wear tolerance.

When mowing your Palmetto Buffalo, to maintain hardiness, raise the mower’s height to 45mm in sunny areas and 60mm in shade sites.

Water your Palmetto Buffalo deeply every 7-10 days to encourage re-growth.

Palmetto Buffalo Pricing & Suppliers

Where it grows: Palmetto Soft Leaf Buffalo is well-suited for most parts of Australia including much of Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. Your local Grower suppliers can easily be found with our online supplier locator tool.

Expect to pay: Between $10 and $15 per square metre. To get more Palmetto Buffalo pricing info, visit our Palmetto Buffalo info page and get 3 quotes from your local Palmetto growers today.

Hard Wearing Zoysia Grasses

Zoysia Turf, such as EmpireTM and Nara NativeTM, are ideal hard-wearing grasses that have fast initial growth across the ground with highly branched runners that provide rapid recovery from wear.

Zoysia grass quickly forms a dense, cushiony turf that makes it hard-wearing and able to cope with the wear and tear of children and dogs.

Enhancing the strength of Zoysia grass is their high levels of silica which benefit the lawn when under stress and delays wilting.

Empire Zoysia

Empire Zoysia’s hard-wearing performance is due to a deep-rooted, underground runner system that allows it to endure high traffic.

In order to maintain your hard-wearing Empire Zoysia mow less frequently to a height of about 45mm.

Adding fertiliser to your Empire grass also helps improve growth and ground cover which aid wearability.

Water your Empire Zoysia, when you notice leaf wilting, deeply but infrequently early in the morning.

Empire Zoysia Pricing & Suppliers

Where it grows: Empire Zoysia grows well in Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Your local Empire Grower suppliers can easily be found with our online supplier locator tool.

Expect to pay: Between $12 and $16 per square metre. To get more Empire Zoysia pricing info, visit our Empire Zoysia info page and get 3 quotes from your local Empire growers today.

Nara Native Zoysia

Nara Native Zoysia is hard-wearing in both sun and semi-shade conditions thanks to its deep-rooted characteristics.

To maintain Nara Natives’ high wearability mow to a height of 45mm so adequate leaf coverage remains to protect the lawn from wear and tear.

For a faster-growing lawn that increases protective ground cover and wearability, fertilise your Nara Native grass more frequently. Nara Native can be watered infrequently but deeply early in the morning or when you see leaf wilting.

Nara Zoysia Pricing & Suppliers

Where it grows: Nara Native Zoysia grows well in Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Your local Nara Grower suppliers can easily be found with our online supplier locator tool.

Expect to pay: Between $11 and $16 per square metre. To get more Nara Zoysia pricing info, visit our Nara Zoysia info page and get 3 quotes from your local growers today.

For more fast facts and Q&As on our varieties –

Or check out our handy Quick Lawn Selection Guide.

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