Choosing turf for Sydney: buffalo, kikuyu, couch or zoysia
Soft-leaf buffalo, kikuyu, couch or zoysia. How each one copes with sun, shade, kids, dogs and a dry summer, so you pick the grass that suits your yard.
The assumption we're testing
“I'll get whatever turf is cheapest this week.”
Start with the spot, not the grass
The right grass depends on your yard, not on what's on special. Before you choose, look at four things. How many hours of direct sun does the lawn get? How much running around will it take? How much water can you give it? And how much mowing and edging do you want to do?
Watch the yard over a full day. A spot that gets sun at noon in summer can sit in shade all winter, when the sun is lower.
The four grasses most Sydney lawns use
Soft-leaf buffalo. Broad, soft leaves and a thick feel underfoot. It copes with shade better than most warm-season grasses and handles family use well. It's less likely to creep into garden beds than kikuyu or couch.
Kikuyu. Tough, fast-growing and quick to fix itself when it gets worn. It's good for big, sunny yards with kids and dogs. But it needs full sun, it needs mowing often, and it will run into garden beds unless you keep the edges trimmed.
Couch. Fine leaves and a neat look when it's cut low. It loves full sun and recovers well from wear. It struggles in shade and, like kikuyu, it spreads into beds.
Zoysia. Fine to medium leaves and very dense. It grows slowly, so it needs less mowing, and it copes well with dry spells. The trade-off is that it's slow to repair itself if it gets worn or damaged.
Which one for which yard
Full sun and lots of wear, like kids and dogs: kikuyu or couch. Some shade from a house or tree: soft-leaf buffalo is usually the safer choice. Low upkeep and a neat look in a sunny spot: zoysia.
Heavy shade all day: no grass will do well there. Even the most shade-tolerant grass needs a few hours of direct sun. A garden bed, mulch or paving may suit that spot better than lawn.
Grasses sold under the same name can behave differently. Ask what the one you're buying is bred for, and whether it suits the sun your spot gets.
The best grass still needs good ground
Choosing the right grass only helps if the ground under it is right. Turf rolled onto hard clay or thin fill struggles whatever kind it is. Our guide on why lawns keep dying explains why.
When we lay a lawn, we look at the sun and the soil before we pick the grass. Then we prepare the base first. See how that works on our turf and lawns page.
Want it done once, and done right? We check the ground first, then plan the work.