Drought-Tolerant Grass for Dry Climates | Water-Saving Turf
It’s time to talk once more about that dreaded D-word: Drought. But Australia’s frequent water shortages don’t mean you can’t have a wonderful green lawn throughout the summer.
It’s all about choosing a drought resistant turf that thrives even with minimal watering, a smart irrigation system and some good horticultural practices to encourage a strong root system of the lawn.
Recovery time is also an important aspect of maintaining a drought-resistant lawn so that if it does get damaged it will recover in a reasonable time. Drought not only causes many types of grass to turn brown and die off but those dead patches will allow unsightly weeds to quickly take over your lawn.
But choosing one of the drought tolerant grasses means your lawn will quickly recover it’s healthy green appearance even after severe droughts. Reduce summer stress on your lawn and take the drama out of watering your lawn with one of Atlas Turf’s drought tolerant turf varieties.
What is a Smart Irrigation System
A Smart Irrigation System is a good quality and efficient sprinkler system with an automatic control panel connected to either a Rain Switch, Soil Moisture Sensor or Weather Station. The “smart” automatic controller must be programmed to operate after 4 pm and before 10 am and for no longer than 15 minutes per zone per day during Level 2 Restrictions.
For clarification or making your system “smart” and more water use efficient please contact your local irrigation dealer.
How Can I Improve my Soil to Help with Drought Tolerance
Many soils are poor in structure and texture and don’t have good water holding capacity
| Helpful Tips | How to improve soil in drought conditions |
|---|---|
| Tip 1 | If the soil is a clay you can apply Gypsum to the soil and incorporate it. This is best done before new turf is laid but can be done later with good mechanical aeration of the existing lawn and then water the Gypsum into the profile. You could aerate the lawn again straight after spreading the Gypsum if it doesn’t cause too much damage to the turf. It will open up the soil pore spaces to capture more moisture for a longer period and incorporate the Gypsum better. |
| Tip 2 | Apply a wetting agent to assist the moisture in penetrating the soil profile. |
| Tip 3 | Apply some composted green waste over an existing lawn to help hold moisture. About 10mm over the surface is adequate. |
| Tip 4 | Aerate the soil and apply washed river sand in a clay soil to get a funnel of sand into the profile for water to penetrate further down. If the soil is low in organic matter you can use composted green waste instead of the river sand. |
| Tip 5 | Apply Kelp and Fish emulsions to increase the heathy soil microbiology back into the profile. This is good for the soil and will encourage the roots of the plants to develop so that they can grab more available soil moisture. |
| Tip 6 | Please note that not all soils are the same and some expert advice may be required to get your lawn and soil into the best condition possible. |
What Makes a Good Drought Tolerant Grass?
For homeowners and grass lovers Level 2 restrictions mean you will have to take even greater care with your lawn to keep it healthy and happy over what promises to be a long hot summer.
So, if you’re thinking about laying new turf it’s a really good idea to consider a truly drought-tolerant grass. The best drought resistant grasses display a number of important features.
These include:
- Deep roots—by sending roots deep into the soil these grasses can absorb moisture below the evaporation line and they won’t dry out so quickly.
- Rapid recovery—Australia’s harsh droughts may cause large areas of lawn to brown off and die. Drought resistant grasses recover quickly sending out new shoots.
- Minimal thatching—thatching can quickly dry out exposing the soil to rapid moisture loss. Ideally, you want enough thatching to protect the soil from evaporation but not too much.If you mow your lawn at about 25mm to 40mm that should be a good height.
Here are some of Atlas Turf’s more popular drought resistant grasses.
Sir Walter Buffalo
Sir Walter Buffalo is tough, drought resistant, a good looking lawn and is one of Australia’s most popular grass choices for drought tolerant lawns. Sir Walter Buffalo is a soft-leaved grass featuring a crisp green colour and does well in the shade.
What makes Sir Walter Buffalo so good for drought?
Sir Walter Buffalo was developed in Australia for Australian conditions. It has good drought resistance, is great in direct sun or shade and has a good recovery time. On sandy soils on our farm we have seen the roots go down as far as 50 centimetres.
Sir Walter also produces less thatch than some other buffalo varieties. Too much thatch can be a problem as it doesn’t allow the water to penetrate down into the to the roots. Shade can help your lawn survive drought by keeping soil temperatures down. Sir Walter Buffalo is a good turf choice for shaded areas.
Zoysia Grass
Zoysia is one of the best choices for an attractive drought resistant lawn. Even though Zoysia features a soft leaf blade it’s one very tough grass once it is established.
Why is Zoysia So Good In Drought?
Zoysia is renowned for its ability to withstand severe drought. It loves growing in hot, humid areas with full sun and yet Zoysia also displays good shade tolerance. Zoysia has a massive root system when established which enables it to recover well when damaged from drought but it will need to be well watered during the establishment phase.
Zoysia provides good recovery times, however it’s growth rates are slower than Sir Walter Buffalo and will therefore take longer to re establish itself. It boasts some of the lowest maintenance requirements of all grass types in Australia and has excellent inbuilt disease and pest resistance. Mowing requirements would be half of the buffalo varieties.
Kikuyu Grass
Given its origins in Kenya, it’s hardly surprising that Kikuyu with its broad coarse leaf and lush green appearance rates as one of the toughest drought-resistant grasses around. Kikuyu is especially ideal for large lawns where the budget is low.
What Makes Kikuyu a Great Choice for Drought?
Kikuyu displays exceptional drought resistance and it can thrive despite an amazing amount of neglect. Its deep roots and rhizomes allow it to survive and thrive in the harsh conditions and enable it to rapidly spring back seemingly from the dead.
The ability to rapidly spread and recolonise dead areas makes Kikuyu one of the best choices if you’re seeking a drought tolerant lawn that can recover when rainfall or good watering is available.
Palmetto Buffalo
Palmetto Buffalo is another very popular drought resistant turf variety. It’s long, broad, soft blades and dark green colour will be an asset to any lawn.
Why Choose Palmetto?
Palmetto delivers hardy drought resistance thanks to its strong root system. It’s relatively fast growth rates ensure good recovery from damage. It retains good colour even with minimal water available and the low level of thatching ensures moisture is retained in the soil.
Palmetto is quite happy in full sunlight or shade and it’s dense growth habit helps to compete with weeds.
Couch
Couch has a great reputation for being a tough attractive blue/green grass that displays exceptional drought resistance as well as having relatively low maintenance requirements.
In fact, research shows that Couch varieties are some of the most drought resistant of all grasses. This particular variety has been specified for use at Macquarie Links Golf Course at Narellan NSW.
Why Couch is Ideal for Drought Conditions?
Couch is a superb drought resistant grass. Couch’s watering requirements are around one third less than some other Couch varieties. It also boasts a rapid recovery rate so even if your lawn takes a beating this summer Couch will quickly bounce back.
How to Prepare Grass for Drought
The way you look after your lawn through the winter and spring can make an enormous difference to how well it will survive the dry times.
Encourage Deep Roots
Deep roots will enable your grass to survive through a long drought period.
You can encourage your lawn to grow deep roots and improve its drought tolerance by watering less frequently but more deeply into the soil. Aerate your lawn regularly and at least twice per year to open up pore spaces in the soil to trap more moisture.
This lets the water sink more deeply into the soil and the grass roots respond by growing down to the moisture using up more of the available water in the soil profile. You can apply a wetting agent to help water penetrate into the soil profile. This is important on heavier soils as if the water cannot penetrate the soil surface it will run off and be lost to the plant.
Kelp and fish emulsion products are a great addition to create better root growth which provides better drought tolerance.
Frequent Watering Weakens Grass
Frequent watering will encourage the grass to produce shallow roots leaving your lawn more vulnerable when the big dry hits. By watering only when necessary, and deep into the profile, you can actually train grasses to be more drought tolerant.
Generally a good deep watering no more than once a week is the best practice. But do not allow water to run off and be wasted which can happen on clay soils which have poor infiltration. Watering like this throughout the year will mean that come summer your lawn will have pushed roots down below the evaporation level and will be better prepared to survive the drought.
However, if you have an unhealthy lawn or a clay soil, you may have to water more often to keep it alive especially if the root system is shallow. But by aerating, deep watering and applying kelp and fish emulsions you will create a deeper root system for better drought tolerance and less water use.
Mow Lawns Less Often
Keeping your lawns a little longer will also increase drought tolerance. Longer leaf blades retain more moisture and provide more surface area for photosynthesis. Taller grass mown at around 25mm to 40mm will also help reduce evaporation from the soil.
Reduce Wear and Tear
Reducing any stress such as wear and tear on your lawn will help boost drought tolerance. If you want to develop a drought resistant lawn this summer, you simply need to choose one of Atlas Turf’s super tough drought resistant grasses and follow these straightforward maintenance tips.
Comparison Table for Turf Varieties
| Rated | Drought Tolerance | Shade Tolerance | Less Mowing | Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No1 | Couch | Buffalo | Zoysia | Couch |
| No2 | Kikuyu | Zoysia | Buffalo | Kikuyu |
| No3 | Zoysia | Kikuyu | Kikuyu | Buffalo |
| No4 | Buffalo | Couch | Couch | Zoysia |
Recommended Irrigation Dealers
Hawkesbury Valley Irrigation
Located in Windsor NSW, this company has been in business for 35 years and are one of Sydney’s most experienced companies that offer expert advise on Sydney Water Restrictions, Smart Irrigation systems and how to make your irrigation system more efficient.
Hawkesbury Valley Irrigation cater for the DIY market and commercial projects. They can be contacted on 02 4577 6222.