ALM Note: Sustainable Water Management + Warm Season Grasses
It is unarguable that the use of warm season grasses, couch and kikuyu in particular for turf areas in Melbourne provides the opportunity to reduce summer water consumption below that required for an equivalent area of cool season species. Strategies to replace existing surfaces with couch and kikuyu are being implmented by the City of Greater Dandenong and the City of Greater Geelong.
We can see these warm season grasses currently providing a green surface on sportsfields at locations in Melbourne however there remains the risk that under some common wear levels at temperatures commonly experienced in Melbourne, warm season turf surfaces may deteriorate below what is now seen as acceptable.
More widespread use as a replacement for cool season species may require adjustment of our expectations of winter turf surfaces in order to reduce summer irrigation requirements.
