Guide to Nullarbor Couch Grass
What it’s best for
Budget-friendly and versatile, Nullarbor Couch Grass is a high quality, fast-growing grass that loves the Queensland sun. It’s a fine-leafed, dense turf makes for a beautiful dark green lawn that feels great underfoot. It’s perfect for the south-east Queensland climate, thrives with careful maintenance and bounces back after high wear and tear. Nullarbor Couch is also ideal for full sun environments. It’s drought tolerant and grows in a range of soil types. However, its fine leaf blade means it’s not great at absorbing sunlight. So it does need between six and seven hours of full sunlight each day to thrive.Who it’s best for
As long as you get six to seven hours of sun, Nullarbor Couch Grass is perfect for your backyard. It looks absolutely stunning. And it will tolerate high foot traffic from both people and animals. That makes it a popular choice for backyards with sports-loving children and pets but also for professional sports areas, like cricket and football grounds.How to care for Nullarbor Couch
Nullarbor Couch Grass requires very little watering. In fact, your lawn will only need watering when it appears dry. It does however need a higher level of care and maintenance than some other types of grass. Because it grows a dense turf and continues to grow quickly, it will require mowing more often in the warmer months of the year. However, it can tolerate a lower mowing height than other grasses. During the warmer months of spring and summer, you’ll need to mow your Nullarbor Couch every five to seven days. This is so it does not start to grow where you don’t want it to. In cooler months, Nullarbor Couch goes into a dormant state. As the weather warms up again, it will start to grow again early.
Troubleshooting
Like any turf, Nullarbor Couch can occasionally have challenges. To forestall these, and help your lawn to thrive, we suggest a seasonal (two to three times each year) application of a good, slow release fertiliser such as Lawn Solutions Premium Lawn Food. As Nullarbor Couch grows quickly, it can invade spaces adjacent to your thriving lawn, such as garden beds or between pavers. The best way to stop this happening is to maintain your regular mowing schedule, including lawn edging. Regular application of a herbicide such as Lawn Solutions Oxafert is a good idea. If it’s taken hold somewhere you don’t want it to be, you could carefully apply a glyphosate (such as Roundup, following the label instructions). The benefit of this spreading habit is that if you get any bare patches they’ll quickly grow over.How to lay couch grass
To lay your Nullarbor Couch turf for the best results we suggest:- Prepare your turf bed with 50mm – 100mm of good quality underlay.
- Be ready to lay your turf immediately after it’s been delivered, so it won’t dry out.
- Once laid, apply Lawn Launcher to help your turf retain moisture.
- Give your newly laid turf a good soaking for 10 to 14 days after installation to help it establish.
- Wait to mow until your turf has established roots. For the first mow, go lightly to promote horizontal growth.
Nullarbor Couch Grass – Pros and Cons
The Pros
- Nullarbor Couch loves a full sun backyard, perfect for south-east Queensland.
- It’s drought-tolerant, resistant to wear and tear and repairs quickly.
- It grows to create a beautiful, lush green lawn that is great to walk on.
- Nullarbor Couch will thrive with seasonal application of a good, slow release fertiliser such as Lawn Solutions Premium Lawn Food. Regular fertilising (two to three times each year) will also minimise thatching in your lawn.
The Cons
- Nullarbor Couch requires a regular mowing schedule in the warmer months, so you’ll need to be ready for regular lawn care. This includes regular edging as well as mowing, as Nullarbor Couch can quickly invade spaces adjacent to your lawns, such as garden beds and between pavers.
- You’ll need to keep an eye out for weeds and pests.
- It’s shade intolerant – as Nullarbor Couch is a warm-season, sun-loving grass, it’s not recommended for shaded backyards.
