Episode: #10 4/11/06
Presenter: Melissa King

When water is scarce, we often feel guilty about our lawns, but not all grasses are created equal. With the right preparation, choice of turf and care, you can have a beautiful guilt free lawn.

Melissa could have shown you a perfectly manicured, golf-green lawn, but for most of us, a lawn that looks great with little water that can handle lots of wear and tear during the warmer months so we can enjoy it is all we want to achieve.

Sir Walter Buffalo has a low demand for water. It needs 60 % less water than commonly used grass like Tall Fescue. Sir Walter is also very durable during summer so it can handle the kids and the dogs. It also grows better than most varieties in shaded conditions.

If you like the look, without the work you will love Sir Walter because it is low maintenance. For Victorians it is even better as it doesn?t grow as fast as cool season varieties like fescue and rye, so it needs less mowing.

Another advantage is it is self-repairing. Unlike Kikuyu that creeps underground and can pop up where you don?t want it, Sir Walter is a surface creeper so it is more controllable and will easily grow over and repair any damage.

If your lawn is already established, you can apply water saving products to the surface but you will often get the best results by putting wetting agents and water storing crystals into the soil before you lay the turf to help retain water around the root system.

Also make sure you have a good depth of top soil underneath, say 150 mm. The more top soil, the more substantial the root structure becomes giving it better access to underground moisture.

A healthy lawn is tougher in dry conditions, so use a high nitrogen slow release lawn food in spring, summer and autumn.

You can also reduce the need for water and speed up establishment by top dressing with white washed sand. It sits in the thatch layer and helps hold turf down for good soil contact, so that root system can get established.

Then when you do water, do it deeply and less often. Don?t mow the lawn too short either.

Check out the Sir Walter stockists at www.strathayr.com.au

StrathAyr Pty Ltd 
88 Ekberg Road
PO Box 267
Seymour Victoria 3661
Australia

Freecall: 1800 622 455
Tel: 61 3 5735 4122
Fax: 61 3 5735 4133
E-mail: sales@strathayr.com.au