There is nothing better than a beautiful expanse of lush, green grass around your property.  It’s cool underfoot, looks luxurious, and kids and pets alike love it.  As people are only willing to do a certain amount of maintenance to keep their lawn looking good, different varieties of turf have been developed, both to suit people’s needs and to suit the prevailing conditions.  Here are the most common types of turf available on the market today.

Santa Ana Couch

Santa Ana Couch is a fine leafed lawn that grows very densely.  Its density means that it is a very tough kind of lawn, standing up to everyday wear very well.  Santa Ana Couch is also very weed and insect resistant, so you don’t have to worry as much about pesky weeds popping through.  While Santa Ana Couch prefers full sun, it is quite shade tolerant (in fact, the most shade tolerant type of couch).  It grows moderately fast and does can be mown quite low.  Watering wise, Santa Ana Couch is quite drought tolerant and hardy.

Kikuyu

Kikuyu is an extremely vigorously growing lawn with a medium broad leaf.  Because it grows so quickly, it is well suited to areas of heavy wear (such as kids play areas) and it will repair itself if it gets damaged.  It does this by sending out runners to help fix the worn or damaged areas.  Kikuyu grows fastest in warmer climates and it prefers full sun.  It can look rather sparse in shadier areas of the garden.  Kikuyu is very durable and it tolerates dry spells quite well.

Matilda Buffalo

Matilda Buffalo is a semi dwarf type of Buffalo grass and it has a smooth, soft texture.  It feels extremely pleasant underfoot and it is perfect for entertaining on, or for kids to play on.  It is so soft and comfortable, you don’t need to wear shoes!  Matilda Buffalo is a type of grass that has been wholly developed in Australia so it has a great green colour all year round, as well as being very drought tolerant and wear resistant.  Because Matilda Buffalo has such a dense root system, it will establish itself rapidly, and also repair itself if it becomes damaged.  It will grow well in full sun and areas that are up to 80 percent shaded.  Matilda Buffalo will even grow in areas where most other turfs won’t thrive such as in salty soil, or in clay or rocky soils.

Tall Fescue

Yet another popular type of turf in Australia is Tall Fescue, which is a cool season bladed grass.  It is an evergreen grass, so will not die down or lose colour in the cooler months.  Tall Fescue does well in full sun but it will also grow well in areas that are partially shaded (up to 60 percent shade).  It is quite a hardy, reliable grass and it can tolerate moderate foot traffic quite well.  It does well on many different types of soil but it does need to be well watered during the warmer summer months.

Common Buffalo

This is a very tough type of Buffalo lawn and it is excellent for areas that get a lot of use.  It is lush underfoot while still being extremely hardwearing.  Basically, you can throw anything at a Common Buffalo lawn and it will accept it!  Common Buffalo prefers full sun but it will grow in shaded areas.  It is also very drought resistant and will stay look lush and green all year

Wintergreen Couch

Wintergreen Couch is a beautiful, lush, dark green lawn that has very fine leaves, or blades.  It is a hybrid form of couch that stays looking good all year round.  Like most other turf, it grows best in full sun but it can tolerate a little shade.  Wintergreen Couch is soft underfoot and wears very well so it is ideal for higher traffic areas or kids play areas.  One excellent feature of this type of turf is that once it is established, it can regrow after a period of neglect.

If you're not sure what type of turf to pick for your home, ask the advice of your local lawn and turf professional.