Choosing The Best Lawn For Your Backyard

It can be difficult to know which grass type is best for your yard, no grass is perfect and each has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. While no grass type is perfect in every way, there will be one that is ideal for you and your yard.

If you want your lawn to survive, it’s important that you select the right grass type. After all, the wrong kind of grass type for your lawn could lead to a very unpleasant experience for you.

When selecting the type of lawn you’ll be using you should have these considerations in mind:

Climate
When picking out grass, make sure that you keep the amount of rainfall your lawn receives. This allows you to identify the types of lawn grass that would be good to grow in your local area. Picking out a grass type that needs constant watering while you live in a hot, sunny area is a sure way to rack up your water bill—so make sure that you choose the grass that is appropriate for your local rainfall conditions.

Use
What will you be doing in your lawn? Is it purely there for decorative purposes or will you be walking around your lawn quite frequently? Knowing what your lawn will be used for is important since some grass types are more suitable for heavy activity. A lawn that gets a lot of traffic, for instance, would need a more durable type of grass. Also consider if you have pets, children, or vehicles that might run through your lawn.

Shade
Aside from the rainfall, you should also consider how much shade your lawn gets. Make sure to note if your lawn receives sunlight all day or if you get some shade in the afternoon or morning times. This will help you identify which type of lawn grass is perfect for your lawn.

Type of Soil

The kind of soil you have will dictate how healthy your grass will be as they grow. Check your soil texture so you know how healthy the area is and determine which type would be the best grass type for your lawn. The most ideal soil type you can have is loam is the most desirable soil type you can get as clay is too dense and sand drains too quickly.

Gardening Style
Think about how much time you spend caring for your lawn. Do you spend time mowing your lawn or would you rather have a lawn that’s quite self-sufficient? You should get grass types depending on how meticulous you are with your lawn care. Do note that with any grass type you choose, you will still need to practice basic lawn care like feeding, watering, and weeding.

Because Australia has such a diverse range of soil types and climates, what works well in a Cairns backyard may not work well in a Melbourne backyard. Then there are personality differences to consider. You might be a family who needs a space for their kids and pets to play, you might be the type of person who will gladly spend hours trimming their front lawn with hand scissors only to make the neighbours envious. No matter what type of grass you're after, there will be one that suits you.

Here are the most common lawn grass varieties in Australia:

Buffalo Grass

You may recall the ever-present buffalo grass lawn from your childhood. Many schoolyards and family homes had its wide, prickly leaves. Since then new, soft buffalo breeds have happily been made to be less scratchy and irritable.

Buffalo prefers hot temperatures and is best suited to Australia’s hotter regions; it can survive heavy traffic and doesn’t mind a little shade.

If you live in a hotter part of Australia, want something low-maintenance, and expect a lot of people or animals to stroll across your lawn, choose buffalo grass.

Buffalo Grass Types:

Couch Grass

Couch is a fine-leaved grass that has long been a favourite choice for Australian yards. It’s a nice, soft lawn that can be used as a play surface for children or as a living surface for dogs.

It isn’t difficult by any means to care for couch, but it does require time. With a couch grass, you get what you put in, and if your yard is sunny, you dethatch, mow, and fertilise it, you’ll have a beautiful lawn. If you don’t, it will become spotty and straggly, invading areas you don’t want it to.

If you’re searching for a functional family lawn and have the time and inclination to put in some effort to keep it in good shape, couch grass is the way to go.

Couch Grass Types:

Nullarbor Couch
Wintergreen Couch

Zoysia Grass

As a lawn variety, Zoysia is grossly underappreciated. It is one of the most low-maintenance grasses accessible, as it will grow in almost any soil, tolerates heat, and requires little fertilisation or mowing. It can withstand a reasonable amount of traffic, although it takes longer to recover from injury than other grasses.

Zoysia is a lifesaver for people of northern Australia, especially those who live in hotter climates. Many other plants can’t stand the heat and humidity of the tropics and subtropics like Brisbane, but zoysia thrives in it.

Zoysia Grass Types:

Native Zoysia Grass:

Nara Native Zoysia

Australia’s first native lawn variety that holds-up under the toughest of climates and is well-suited to all areas across the country. It is a low maintenance lawn that requires less mowing, edging and fertilising compared to other varieties such as Buffalo and Couch. Nara Zoysia’s deep-rooted characteristics offers outstanding drought tolerance and water efficiency as well as a high wear tolerance in both full sun and semi-shade. Its deep roots also mean it is perfect for erosion control and for laying on sloping sites.

Hybrid Bermudagrass

TifTuf Hybrid Turf

TifTuf Turf is a Hybrid Bermudagrass renowned for its exceptional wear and drought tolerance. When it comes to water efficiency, TifTuf stands out as one of the most resilient grasses once established. Its fine-textured blades exhibit a bright green color, surpassing other Bermuda grass varieties. While moderately shade-tolerant, it thrives best in sunny areas.

IronCutter Elite Hybrid Bermudagrass

IronCutter offers a modern twist on traditional Bermuda grass. Its durability and wear tolerance make it an excellent choice for areas with heavy foot traffic, such as parks, sports fields, and home gardens. The deep green color of IronCutter enhances landscape aesthetics, while its low maintenance requirements mean less frequent dethatching compared to traditional Bermuda grass. IronCutter thrives in various Australian climates, displaying high drought and cold tolerance while being soft to touch, this grass is perfect for families with children and pets.