Turf to suit your climate zone

We asked Australians what it is that’s keeping them from having the lawn they want. Just over a quarter of Aussies complained it’s because of the climate! Whether it’s too dry or there’s too much rain, our Australian weather can be a real issue for our grass goals.

We took Australia’s four biggest grassy issues and worked out how they
could achieve the perfect lawn by using the right turf.

We compared our four most populated states. It turns out Queenslanders are struggling the most when it comes to how the climate affects their lawn. Roughly twice as many Queensland respondents named it as their issue than the other states. There’s been an increase in rainfall in Australia during the warmer months but Queensland has actually seen a 10% decrease from its average. But this doesn’t come as a surprise with 57.4% of the state currently being drought declared.

Western Australians have experienced the opposite with a 42% increase on their rainfall average. Most of the rainfall increase in WA is being enjoyed by the north and interior rather than the south-west who’ve actually experienced a 20% decrease.

Whether it’s too much rain or too little, we have some intel on the turf type for you.

Source: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/aus/#tabs=Rainfall

Too much rain

If too much rain and weather-misery is the source of your lawn’s contempt, your best bet is a waterlogging tolerant turf. An overload of water can be hard for any plant to withstand but there are turfs designed to be a bit tougher when it comes to the wet season. If you’re in one of those annoying climates where it’s like monsoon season over the Summer but Winter is like a drought — give Emerald Kikuyu a go, it’s waterlogging and drought resistant (magic, we know).

Not enough rain

If you’re living somewhere dry and can’t get on top of your grass situation… pick a lawn type that doesn’t need much water to survive. We’re big fans of a good couch blend turf, these normally adapt to most soil types too. Note that while a couch blend suits drought-stricken climates quite well, their winter colour is one of the worst on the market – these are best for humid regions.

Zoysia is perfect for those inland Australian towns. It’s heat tolerant and it continues to thrive in a hot, dry climate. It’s a really popular choice in Queensland and New South Wales. Buffalo is great for this too and holds slightly more popularity, potentially because turf farmers say it grows quicker.

The cooler cities, Melbourne and Adelaide have a solid relationship with Kikuyu and inland Australia has seen the turf grow traction as it recovers from drought so well.

Coastal Climates

Coastal regions in Australia experience some of the biggest variations in climate and weather. Central Queenslanders as an example see humid and hot summers and receive a heap of rainfall as it’s their ‘wet season’. They’ll experience slightly cooler temperatures in the cooler months, but the cold will come from the coastal winds. Coastal winds burden most of Australia’s coastal regions, carrying heavy amounts of salt across and as a result, in their yard. Nara Native Turf is ideal for these regions, it has four to five times the salt resistance of other turfs making it an ideal lawn for those towns nestled next to the beach.

What about frost?

The toughest thing about Australia’s climate is the extremities in climate. Places like Canberra, rural Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales’ coast, and even the south of Queensland (mainly the Granite Belt) can experience extreme heat throughout Summer but are then prone to frost in the Winter too. The best turf for these conditions is one that can withstand the cold as well as frost. A really simple choice for this is a Fine Leaf Fescue which is snow and frost tolerant but can handle droughts and sun for the warmer months!

Kenda Kikuyu maintains a beautiful winter colour so we’re seeing places like Western Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, and inland Queensland choose this turf.