When it comes to kerb appeal, one of the first things a person will notice about a property is the front lawn. Unkempt grass or brown patches of lawn can quickly detract from the beauty of a home, and even decrease the value of your property by 10%. Factors such as sunlight, seasons, and the amount of maintenance you’re willing to put in all contribute to a lawn’s health, which is why it’s important to pick the right grass seed from the start. To help you make the right choice, we’ve put together some tips on ‘How to pick the right grass seed’ and questions you should ask yourself before seeding your lawn.
How to pick the right grass seed: Questions to ask yourself
How do you use your lawn?
If your backyard sees a lot of sports or activity, some grasses will better tolerate foot traffic more than others. The last thing you want when you choose grass seed is for a lawn to wilt and die mere months after planting. This can also prove harder if you have one or more dogs, as dog urine is especially damaging for lawns and can cause the grass to burn from the nitrogen (tell-tale brown or yellow patches). Grass types that can bear the brunt of high levels of wear include Kikuyu, Couch and Zoysia.
Will your lawn have a lot of shade or sunlight?
Wondering how to pick the right grass seed if your backyard is shady? Like most plants, grass needs a healthy dose of sunshine to grow healthy and strong. However, if your backyard has a lot of foliage or neighbouring buildings that block out the sun, you’ll want to lay down shade tolerant grass. Zoysia and Fescue are especially good at handling the shade, but Buffalo is renowned for being the most shade tolerant and can subsist on just four hours of sunlight a day.
How much maintenance are you willing to do?
If you don’t have time to spare to regularly groom your lawn, there are some grass types you’ll want to avoid. Certain types of Couch and Kikuyu grass will require regular care, where Zoysia grass is heralded for its low maintenance as it’s slow growing and doesn’t need watering very often. Bermuda grass is also a popular choice for similar reasons and offers good shade tolerance and excellent self-repairing qualities.
What climate do you live in?
Like plants, some types of grass are better equipped to handle hot temperatures more than others. This is often one of the most crucial things to consider when choosing the right grass seed, as grass can quickly go into stress if placed in the wrong environment. Grasses are typically divided into ‘warm season grasses’ and ‘cold season grasses’ and are better suited to certain regions in Australia.
Warm season grasses: Couch, Kikuyu, Zoysia, Buffalo
Cool season grasses: Ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue and Bent grass.
Are you near the sea?
If you’ve got a waterfront property or plan on planting grass next to a pool, you’ll need to factor in salt resistance as part of your search. Luckily, there are quite a few grass types you can choose from that offer both salt resistance and low maintenance. Nara Native is a favourite amongst coastal homeowners, as it stands strong in droughts and can retain its colour even in winter. Empire Zoysia is also another popular choice that requires little care and has good recovery from wear and tear.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our blog on ‘how to pick the right grass seed.’ If you’re planning on entering next year’s Brisbane’s Best Lawn competition, be sure to bookmark this home page and return for updates and information on how you can get your lawn thriving. Or if you’re like some more advice on maintaining a new lawn’ contact us online and one of our friendly team members will be in touch shortly.
