Warm Season Grass Seed Guide
Warm Season Grass Seed Guide
Couch Grass, Kikuyu and Zoysia Grass are all classified as 'Warm Season' grasses. They are suitable for summer sowing in most states of Australia, with Tasmania being the exception. They can be sown year round in Northern Tropical and Sub tropical areas, and can be sown in Late Spring and Summer in Temperate areas of Australia. Special care needs to be taken when choosing Zoysia as it isn't suitable in non-tropical zones.
In temperate areas that have a cold winter, oversowing warm season grasses with a cool season variety may be required to maintain winter colour. This is due to warm season grasses going into dormancy when winter arrives.
COUCH
Couch seed is suitable for Home Lawns, Golf courses, Sportsfields, Parks, Schools, Commercial Landscapes, Roadsides, Cemetries.
The sowing rate for Couch grass is 1kg per 100sqm and should be sown when soil temperature is consistently above 18 degrees Celsius (this is similar to night time air temperatures) in late Spring/Summer.
Couch grass loves full sun and well drained soil. Planting depth 6mm or less as couch seed needs light to germinate. Germination time in planting conditions above, is 10-14 days to emerge, with 6-8 weeks for establishment.
KIKUYU
A well known grass variety, Kikuyu is used across Australia for home lawns, parks and landscaped areas. It's very drought resistant and loves hot weather. It has a spreading growth habit so it's important to keep it in check around garden beds and pathways. Like Couch it will go into dormancy in cooler locations during Winter. Sow it at 1kg per 100sqm and half that rate if oversowing for summer drought tolerance. Our very popular All Season Kikuyu Blend pairs it with Perennial Ryegrass for an all year green lawn.
ZOYSIA
Compadre Zoysia grass is a tropical variety that copes well with very warm heat, drought and heavy use. Compadre Zoysia grass is an improved variety that has good green colour, texture and density. It loves consistently hot and humid weather and it's growth peaks in the hot summer months in tropical areas.
It's a great choice for commercial landscapes and home lawns in the North of Australia and isn't recommended in locations South of Brisbane. Though often it's marketed heavily as a grass that's suitable everywhere, we don't recommend Australia wide. Sowing Rate: New Lawns: 0.5–1kg per 100m2
Remember that warm season grasses need heat to thrive so germination rates can vary depending on your location and soil warmth.