Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design Re: Appropriate turf for Melbourne 38Oct 14, 2009 10:24 pm Fu, no worries, besides laying turf , i've been growing it for 25yrs, for me it's all observation (like you). what works works, what doesn't doesn't, but as we both know there are so many variables that the average punter doesn't realise the subtle differences in varieties or causes of problems through soil, climate, weather etc. Sometimes the turf farms rely on-'the best grass is the one that he has the most stock of', that only works in the short term. Sometimes they flog off a variety that they got a licence to grow (typically USA varieties, in NSW or HG changing from Sapphire to Kings Pride), planted heaps but found they don't perform, so it takes years to sell then replant. I'm becoming increasingly worried how 'internet solutions' that appear on blogs and then become gospel, because they are written. The same thing happened with magazines that were published in a region but distributed nationally. eg articules on seeding lawns (written in Vic) that NSW & Qld people thought would work for them............wrong!!!!!!!!!!!! The best thing for the turf/lawn industry is/was the drought from hell, warm season grasses are being recognised as a solution to a sustainable environment for our kids everywhere. Our enemy is pavers, not other grass varieties, the perfect grass hasn't been found/developed yet. I'm a bit biased, because at the moment soft leaf buffalos perform in most places, they can survive everywhere in Australia. SW is the only turf variety that is available everywhere in Oz, from Darwin to Hobart. Every variety has its shortcomings (including SW), and I think (nationally) zoysia (whether Empire, ZT11 or empress, more to come see IP australia PBR web site) has more problems than the buffalos. I'm fortunate to travel every year , at least once, to around 50 turf farms from Darwin, Perth, Adelaide, melbourne, Hobart, Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns etc (OK i'm a sick individual). When I travel I go to any new subdivisions in the area and look at what is performing in a home lawn situation, noting the weather and listening to the local growers for seasonal irregularities. My money is on Buffalo at the moment, from my experience zoysia isn't the 'shade tolerant' grass it's supposed to be and takes too long to establish. These days, house blocks are getting smaller, homes bigger, more shade and traffic on the available lawn area available. Makes sence? cheers, Grasshopper Re: Appropriate turf for Melbourne 39Oct 14, 2009 10:45 pm your points about growers flogging what is cheap to produce at the expense of what is best to sell or was it what they have loads of is right on the money. No doubt you will have searched many of my posts and you would see that that is a point i bring up on not just turf varieties but plants too. The public won't be aware of deals or advertising dollars paid to garden shows to promote certain plants or create a public interest in a certain plant so garden centres start ordering or buying. I am an avid weather buff and year after year i now watch summer storms approach our metro area from the North in summer watch them just vaporise as they reach the metro area. The radar shows it really well. The force field we call it, but as you would know heat soak is a major cause of microclimate change for our cities and paving and Mc mansions contribute to that. All this synthetic turf and paving holds so much heat that it is stopping valuable summer rainfall in metro areas, of course some more than others. As for travelling around to different growers, well I do the same for landscapes and nurseries when ever I go anywhere parks and gardens, garden centres wholesale nurseries etc The scope for learning is much greater I guess by doing that. Re: Appropriate turf for Melbourne 40Nov 05, 2009 6:53 am Righto, I have finally got some empire on order to lay next wenesday now i have some time. I have decided to go with a small patch and see how it goes through summer to summer and then look at doing the rest next year. Plus i don't have enough tanks to do much more. Looking foward to the fun soil prep. Funnily when i was speaking to the turf guy he had never sold any zoysia, and his recommendation for Melb was kikuyu, buffalo/couch browned off/too slow out of dormancy in melb suburbs. Pretty much exactly what i see in the houses near me. He is getting a few rolls in with my order to check out how they go as well. Will update in a week. Unless the room is for storage then it's non compliant BCA V2 2019 S3 P3.8 You have 2 options 1. The builder deconstructs the section and rebuilds as per plan /… 7 10657 They using concrete or timber sleepers? Timber or steel uprights? Any drainage behind sleeper? 3 5823 I do enjoy the drama:-D In his latest two videos he has started bringing security guards to site, I am waiting for the punch on to begin lol 6 45448 |