Perth is blessed with its Mediterranean climate of mild winters and hot, dry summers. It’s the sunniest capital in Australia and is synonymous with consistently great weather. This glorious climate also makes it easy to grow most grasses, so when choosing a lawn variety you’ve got a lot of options.
For some places in Australia, the best grass recommendation is one that will grow in whatever tough climate you’re in. For Perth, however, that’s not an issue. Some varieties might need a bit more help than others, but on the whole you can get a good turf out of most varieties of lawn.
So, grass recommendations for Perth lawns are about what works best for you. Do you want something low maintenance? Something that will cover a patch of dirt in the quickest amount of time? Something easy on the hip pocket? Or do you want something so stunning it’ll be the envy of the neighbourhood?
Whatever your need, we’ve got the right grass variety for you.
If you need something drought resistant
Bermuda couch is always a great choice for drought affected areas. Couch grasses are warm season grasses and can withstand the heat without a worry. Bermuda couch is a particularly hardy variety that will weather a dry spell with barely a tell-tale sign of stress.
RTF Tall Fescue is the most drought resistant of all cool season grasses. Its roots can grow up to 2 metres deep so it can find water where other varieties can’t.
Finally, the McKays Zenith Zoysia is a blend of dry-weather loving zoysia and cheap annual ryegrass for a companion grass. The ryegrass not only makes the blend cheaper than a pure zoysia, it germinates quickly and gives nice, protective coverage while the slow-growing zoysia establishes fully, making the overall lawn hardier and more drought resistant.
If you don’t have a green thumb and need something low maintenance
Buffalo lawn and Queensland blue couch are the best low maintenance grass recommendations for Perth.
Buffalo lawn will grow in most conditions and is self-repairing. It doesn’t need frequent mowing and rarely needs to be fertilised. It’s basically pest and disease proof, too.
Similarly, Queensland blue couch is a hardy couch variety that needs very little maintenance. The McKay’s blend has added annual ryegrass to help the couch establish fully before dying off in the summer months. This makes the early days of growing a lawn less stressful for those who don’t have green thumbs!
If you need a family friendly-lawn that’s up to the task
Perth’s lovely climate is perfect for a lot of outdoor living. If your turf needs to be functional and up to the task of kids playing, dogs running, and families barbecuing, there’s a few grasses that are great options.
McKays Elite Backyard Blend contains a blend of turf type ryegrass and fescues. The three varieties mean that where one may struggle the others will cover for it. They’re all hardy grasses that self-repair and will tolerate heavy traffic.
RPR perennial ryegrass is a lovely, soft lawn which makes for a nice play surface for the kiddies. Its self-repairing quality means that it will bounce back from the strain of any rough-and-tumble easily.
As with other McKay’s blends, the green couch grass seed blend has the annual ryegrass in there as a companion grass for the Sahara couch. Sahara couch is a premium turf variety that is so good at withstanding wear and tear that it’s often used for sporting fields. The ryegrass will die off in the summer leaving you with a premium lawn of Sahara couch ready for the family.
If you need something on a small budget
The most budget friendly lawns on the market are ryegrass blends, tall fescues, and couch seed blends.
For the cheapest lawn on the market that will cover your yard almost instantly with a lovely lawn, opt for the ryegrass blend. This is a favourite of builders and councils who need to cover an area quickly and on a tight budget.
The green couch grass blend is also very easy on the hip pocket but contains Sahara couch too, which is more durable over the hotter months in Perth. If you are looking for something that won’t break the bank but will leave you with a hardier lawn long term, opt for the couch blend.