Make The Grass Greener On Your Side

Choosing the best turf for whichever purpose you plan on growing grass is not an easy task. Laying a turf is the quickest way of getting natural ground cover on a piece of land that is bare. It saves both time and effort as opposed to planting grass from seeds or seedlings.

Ideally, the best turf depends on the different qualities people look for in a turf- besides being greener. Here are some of the well known grasses that form excellent turfs, and the qualities that make them ideal.

Buffalo Grass

Buffalo grass is known to withstand both weather extremes. It got its name because of this- it ensured livestock had fodder all year round. Nowadays though, different varieties of Buffalo grass are used on lawns. All of them share the unique quality of having deep roots and so requiring less water to grow and survive. They even don't require much sunlight and therefore can do very well in shady areas. Here are the kinds that are suitable for creating turfs:

Sapphire Buffalo has a blue hue to it, which gives it its name. It is one of the most adaptable grasses to any weather, even surviving cold extremes of up to -10 degrees Celsius. Its leaves fold up upon maturity to form a fine textured turf, and yet resilient. It is suitable for both commercial and residential lawns and park areas.

Palmetto Buffalo has a deep dark green color to it. The most notable quality it has is the ability to stay dormant during winter to maintain its color. Its leaves are broad, tough but soft to the touch. When fully grown it forms a thick ground cover that doesn't allow weeds to thrive and survive.

Kikuyu Grass

Native to East Africa, where it gets its name from an indigenous tribe in the region, the Kikuyu grass is best known for its rapid growth. It is not only popular with lawns because of the fast-growing quality, but also because it is cheaper than most other grasses. The varieties that are suited for lawns are:

Kenda Kikuyu grass is the male variety of Kikuyu grass with a deep green color that does extremely well in winter conditions. A unique feature it has is that it grows horizontally instead of vertically, providing fast ground cover to a large area. Its disease tolerance and ability to repair itself makes it suitable for high traffic areas such as parks and playing grounds (including football fields). Its only characteristic that needs to be controlled is its fast growth that sometimes spreads into other unwanted areas like flower beds. A perimeter barrier around flower beds should help you stop this from happening.

Couch Grass

Fine, flat and hairy leaf blades with flower spikes are what can be used to describe this type of grass. Varieties include:

Santa Ana couch with its bright green color which looks great on places like tennis courts and golf courses. It is able to withstand heat and cold and still maintain its rich green color.

Wintergreen couch grass is mid green in color. It is also characterized by a fine dense, soft leaf texture and does best in very sunny places.

General care of turfs according to the instructions laid out by experts is key to getting the best turf. Although some don't require much attention, it is good to keep your lawns, playing fields, etc well maintained to achieve the results you want. It lets the grass be greener on your side always.


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River Mifsud is a subject matter expert on of growing grass. Read more at http://returf.com.au/buffalo-grass/ for more information about buffalo grass.