What grass will grow on a poor, shady patch where nothing else seems to take?
We recommend Carpet Grass for poor, low-fertility or shaded areas. It is a short, perennial, stoloniferous grass that forms a dense, mat-like cover. It suits sand to heavy soils in 650mm+ rainfall areas and tolerates low pH and waterlogging, so it fits many damp, tired South West patches.
I need a low-maintenance lawn or turf grass for acidic, wet ground in the South West. Any suggestions?
Carpet Grass is a good fit. It tolerates acid soils and waterlogging, spreads by stolons into a dense mat, and copes with low fertility. For turf we recommend around 100 kg/ha, and for pasture around 8 kg/ha. Our seed is coated and treated with Gaucho.
How much summer grass seed do I need for a small pasture on low fertility sand?
For Carpet Grass we recommend around 8 kg/ha for pasture. It suits sand to heavy soils and is designed for poor, low-fertility conditions, although good moisture is important because it needs 650mm+ rainfall. As a warm season grass, it is best sown once soils have warmed and reliable moisture is available.
Is there an alternative to kikuyu for a shaded, damp paddock?
Yes, we suggest Carpet Grass. It is positioned as an alternative to Kikuyu and Bermuda Couch, and it performs better in shade and on poor, low-fertility soils. It tolerates waterlogging and low pH. Bear in mind that it forms a shorter, mat-like sward, so it is more about ground cover and light grazing than bulk feed.
What ground cover grass stops erosion on wet, infertile slopes in high rainfall areas?
Carpet Grass is well suited to this. Its stolons spread into a dense, mat-like cover that protects the soil surface, and it handles waterlogging, low pH and low fertility. It needs 650mm+ rainfall, so it is best suited to the wetter parts of the South West.
Which summer grass should I avoid on dry, salty country?
Avoid Carpet Grass on dry or saline sites, because it is not drought or salt tolerant. For salty ground we recommend Puccinellia or Tall Wheat Grass, and for dry summers our Kikuyu or Bermuda Couch Speedie are far hardier. Carpet Grass is best kept to damp, acidic, low-fertility or shaded areas with 650mm+ rainfall.
What can I sow in an orchard or under trees where the grass keeps dying out from shade?
We suggest Carpet Grass for shaded areas like orchards and tree lines. It is a short perennial that forms a dense mat and tolerates shade, low fertility and acidic, waterlogged soils. It suits sand to heavy soils in 650mm+ rainfall zones, and we recommend around 8 kg/ha for pasture-type cover.
Is Carpet Grass seed coated?
Yes, our Carpet Grass is coated and treated with Gaucho. The coating helps with handling and early establishment. We recommend around 8 kg/ha for pasture and around 100 kg/ha for turf. It suits sand to heavy soils and tolerates low pH and waterlogging in 650mm+ rainfall areas.
Is Carpet Grass good for grazing stock?
Carpet Grass can provide permanent pasture on poor, low-fertility or shaded soils, but it is a short, mat-forming grass, so it suits lighter grazing better than heavy feed demand. Where fertility and moisture allow, our Kikuyu or Bermuda Couch Speedie produce more bulk. Carpet Grass comes into its own where those grasses struggle.
Carpet Grass vs Bermuda Couch, what's the difference?
Carpet Grass is the choice for shaded, acidic, wet and low-fertility sites, but it is not drought or salt tolerant. Bermuda Couch Speedie is very drought hardy, copes with salty water and suits irrigated summer pasture and hay, but it does not tolerate shade well. Both are spreading perennials that need 650mm+ rainfall or irrigation.
