Best Low Maintenance Grasses
FAST FACTS Less mowing Less fertiliser Water efficient Weed resistance Pest and Disease resistance A low maintenance lawn is one that requires less mowing, fertiliser and ...
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Most lawns need a minimum of four hours direct sun to survive and there are shade tolerant grasses that thrive in partial shade.
Before choosing a shade tolerant grass, establish how much shade your lawn is in during the day.
If you have a small block with a large house this often creates shade across your lawn.
If you have young trees or bushes that could eventually cause shade, determine just how much this could cover the lawn.
And, if you yard is south facing consider just how much shade your grass will be in during the day.
In Australia many varieties with high shade tolerance are warm season grasses such as Buffalo grass (up to 70% shade) and Zoysia(up to 40% shade), varieties such as Couch and Kikuyu can only tolerate 40% shade cover a day.
For those wanting cool-season grasses the shade-tolerant varieties are Rye as well as Fine and Tall Fescues.
Buffalo grasses are the most shade tolerant varieties on the Australian market.
Sapphire® Soft Leaf Buffalo is one of the best varieties and can tolerate up to 70% shade a day.
Other high shade tolerant Buffalo varieties are Prestige® and Palmetto®.
Like all grasses, Zoysia varieties do need at least four hours of direct sunlight.
EmpireTM Zoysia is an option and will tolerant up to 50% shade in low wear areas and in moderate to high wear areas up to 30% shade.
Another ideal Zoysia choice is NaraTM Native which has 40% to 50% shade tolerance – higher than Couch and Kikuyu.
For lawns with shade cover only mow down to 50mm-60mm so you leaf remains long and healthy.
Partial shade conditions can reduce the amount of photosynthesis – which causes your lawn to be starved from a lack of food with the possibility of it dying off.
Photosynthesis is the way the lawn converts energy from sunlight to produce glucose from carbon dioxide and water, as well as vital minerals.
Therefore, remember – the greater the shade the longer the leaf.
Don’t worry that mowing your lawn higher may cause thatching issues, Buffalo grasses growing in shading conditions have the lowest chance of thatching.
WateringWith shade tolerant grass only water when necessary or if you feel the soil drying off.
Water you shade tolerant grass infrequently but deeply in the morning between 7am and 10am.
myhomeTURF’s recommended shade tolerant varietiesSapphire Soft Leaf Buffalo cost between $10 to $15 per square metre and can be grown in Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Your local Grower suppliers can easily be found with our online supplier locator tool.
Prestige Buffalo costs between $13 to $16 per square metre and can be grown from Queensland to Victoria as well as Western Australia. Your local Grower suppliers can easily be found with our online supplier locator tool.
Palmetto Buffalo costs between $10 and $15 per square metre and can be found from Queensland down to Victoria and across to Western Australia. Your local Grower suppliers can easily be found with our online supplier locator tool.
To get more Buffalo variety pricing info, visit our Find Your Turf pages and get 3 quotes from your local growers today.
Empire Zoysia costs between $12 and $16 per square metre and can be found in the Northern Territory, 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.
Nara Native Zoysia costs between $11 to $16 per square metre and is available in the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, Victoria and Western Australia. Your local Grower suppliers can easily be found with our online supplier locator tool.
To get more Zoysia Turf pricing info, visit our Find Your Turf pages 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.
