I have a northerly facing front area to install my lawn in Perth. conditions are yellow sand. about 150-200m2. It has full sun all day. I have a bore for irrigation. I will ammend the soil as required with clay and organic compost to improve it from being just yellow sand probably along the lines of threads here by Fu Manchu or the Soil solver product site.
If we put aside soil ammendments (assume they are completed) then which lawn? and even within the soft leaf buffalos which lawn?
I have viewed Empire Zoyisa next to Sir Walter and it was softer but not nearly as soft as I thought ie. couch is definately much finer a blade again. Empress Zoyisa was noticatably softer then Empire Zoyisa and probably the level of softness i expected to feel in Empire Zoyisa over Buffalo but I have been told that Empress Zoyisa is definately for the keen gardener so will rule that out. I am relatively keen in my garden beds but not so much the lawn.
https://www.glenviewturf.com.au/choose- ... ir-walter/
makes the case for it being less maintennance such as less mowing.The trade off seems to be its ability to recover from wear.
I have a neighbour a few houses up who installed Empire Zoyisa in about Oct 2016 and also did considerable soil ammendments
.
His lawn suffers from postie or delivery motorcycles leaving a sort of obvious zone where they ride off his lawn. I really dont want that effect. Kids will also play on this lawn and a trampoline will be put down that will sit in one spot for a decent while until i move it to try and rotate the effect on the grass. I should probably ammend my comment re sunlight for the fact that under this 12foot wide circlular trampoline that grass could be shaded quite alot?... I know Empire Zoyisa is less shade tolerant than Buffalo.
So between the shaded section under the tramp and mail delivery marks plus my less then expected softness in the Empire Zoyisa over Buffalo, I sort of seem to be aiming at Buffalo, though would like to hear peoples opinions. Maybe some would say my neighbours Zoyisa is wearing worse because his soil ammedments were not that good?
For a comparison within Buffalo I saw this site
http://prolawn.com.au/grasses/
- Sir Walter holds its colour throughout the year in full sun and partial shade;
- Sir Walter buffalo has decent shade tolerance levels;
- Sir Walter does well in high traffic areas;
- Builds up thatch very quickly in full sun compared to most buffalo lawns and becomes spongy;
- Tends to seed more than other buffalo varieties;
- Holds a lot of moisture in it’s stolons which keeps in green but also makes it highly susceptible to fungal attack;
- A fast growing grass requiring more mowing than other buffalo types.
Website comment "I would not recommend this buffalo in full sun.
Negatives seem to be the thatch buildup and its mowing requirement. I rate this the last out of the 3 I buffalos I have shortlisted.
SAPPHIRE
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- Sapphire is best known as Australia’s most shade tolerant buffalo grass. It performs very well when grown in full sun, developing low levels of thatch and low levels of seeding.
- Sapphire is a slower growing buffalo grass, which will require less lawn mowing and maintenance than most other buffalo types.
- Sapphire maintains good colour in sun and shaded conditions year round.
- Sapphire doesn’t perform well in high traffic areas, which may be due to its slower growing characteristic which is otherwise a good quality trait.
- The most unique characteristics of Sapphire is its fine leaf, which makes it the finest leaf buffalo grass available in Australia, today.
- Sapphire also has a very unique slight blue hue, from which it derives from its name.
Negatives in red are its poor performance in high traffic areas though whether its on the same level as Empire Zoyisa is another question. I assume its higher as Buffalos seem to be described that way but not sure, hence the post.
Positives: the fine leaf, i really want to avoid te itchy buffalo effect I grew up with.Low thatch levels and slower growing ( I assume its still higher maintenance then Empire Zoyisa ie. faster growing)
PALMETTO
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- Palmetto is considered the best buffalo grass in Australia;
- Palmetto has a very high drought tolerance and recovery, far exceeding many of its competitors by very large margins;
- It is lighter in colour than other buffalos;
- Palmetto buffalo has the lowest thatch levels;
- Palmetto seeds the least of buffalo grasses in full sun or partial shade;
- Palmetto holds its colour well in winter, whereas others tend to turn brown or even purple;
- Palmetto is a slower growing buffalo grass, which will require less lawn mowing and maintenance than most other buffalo types;
- Palmetto is not as shade tolerant as other buffalo grasses but still performs well in shade.
Website comment: I would recommend Palmetto in full sun over any other buffalo type.
Positives: lowest thatch levels and slow growing but slower than Saphire ? The high drought tolerance unfortunately is not a plus directly for me as with my bore and irrigation I can sort of beat the drought.
Recovery seems strong.
I am tending towards Sapphire due to it being the finest leaf according to the above and low thatch.Recovery wise, good things seem to come to those that wait if this is to believed
"The main negatives for Sapphire buffalo grass are a lower drought recovery rating (recovery after drought ends), and a lower wear and tear tolerance. Sapphire is a low thatch lawn. Low thatch lawns can be slower to recover from wear for the first two years of a lawn, but can be quicker to recover from drought or wear than a high thatch lawn that is two years old. Low thatch lawns have long term benefits."
http://thelawnguide.com.au/lawn-varieties/35-lawn-varieties/342-sapphire-soft-leaf-buffalo.html