| I feel that many great gardens are enhanced by a lovely lawn but accept that it depends on the style of the garden. Clearly Australia's water situation has to be considered too and it seems that gardeners planting lawns are conscious of that in selecting their grass type. Some critics will say that lawns are irresponsible in our environment but there are plenty of arguments for lawns and their environmental benefits. We asked some questions and made our own observations on the state of play in the lawn care industry. Leigh Siebler reports.
I started by discussing Instant Turf with a couple of the key players.
Peter van Leeuwen from HG Turf told me that while sales are certainly down, there seems to be more thinking on lawns again. “Warm season grasses are the ones to grow and many people are installing water tanks because they want a lawn area,” said Peter.
He continued, “Sports fields are suffering. The industry needs a home garden exemption for turf for a period of time to enable establishment. That is banned at present in Victoria but it varies state-to-state. Many turf areas, once established, need minimal or no water in home garden situations. My own Kikuyu lawn, once established, has never been watered except for rain. Kikuyu lawns discolour a bit in winter but are suitable for all states.”
Peter told me that, “Couch, kikuyu, soft leaf buffalo are all suitable. Palmetto, an Australian-bred turf from Ozbreed, is the largest selling turf in the world. Sir Walter Turf is excellent too. Industry needs to keep working with government to highlight the benefits of turf grasses to our environment.”
Peter also felt that there was some shift to synthetic turf but it was more at the expense of gravel and dry areas rather than traditional lawns.
Brent Redman from Sir Walter Turf largely agreed with Peter’s comments but felt the downturn in sales was more impacted by downturns in the economy rather than water.
“Sales in Queensland and WA are booming along with the economy whereas poorer economic areas are seeing sales going down. There was certainly a knee jerk reaction when water restrictions started but that seems to have settled now. Warm season grasses recover well after summer and the winter discolouration doesn’t seem to worry people. We do need to educate gardeners and landscapers on the best grasses to use”, said Brent.
Have a look at these web sites for good information and benefits of lawns:
www.turfaustralia.com.au
www.sirwalter.com.au
If sports fields are suffering then clearly the health of our children is probably suffering too as has been reported recently in newspapers all around Australia.
Now a word from a major lawn seed company
Lawns Help Gardens Look Even Better
“I am pleased that after a couple of difficult years ravaged by drought, water restrictions and negative media focus that the home garden industry in 2008 appears to have been kind to most garden retailers.
In a positive year, lawn care continues to again be a trading highlight for our business. I am pleased to say this is across the board – lawn seed, lawn food and weed control. Why has ‘lawn’ done so well, when it is the category that should be the most impacted by water restrictions and reducing block sizes?
The answer can only be that with less lawn, city dwellers are even more attached to their bit of grass. As an example, my neighbour has just finished renovating his house but in the process his small front garden was destroyed. When I asked him what his garden plans were he answered a lawn with a surrounding garden. His view was that “a lawn makes everything in the garden look more alive”. His son had just moved into a new home landscaped with pebbles and a handful of plants. My neighbour hated it!
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While this was only one person’s view, it reminded me one of the key reasons why the lawn market remains so resilient. Lawns themselves look good and they make the gardens around them look better. And like the lawn care market itself, lawns are resilient. They survive hot summers and with a little autumn rain, become green and inviting again.
Knowing I was in the industry, my neighbour asked me what kind of lawn I would recommend for less water use and maintenance. In his situation a couch, kikuyu or buffalo lawn was ideal because his area was not shaded.
Brunnings sells lots of lawn seed blends ranging from cool season grasses like ryegrass and tall fescues to warmer season grasses such as couch and kikuyu. We also put couch into our cooler season ryegrass blends to improve their drought resistance. While warm season grasses are not ideal for all situations (i.e. full shade, extreme cold) they are very drought-resistant, need less water and are self-repairing. This makes them ideal for most customers’ needs anywhere in Australia.
My neighbour was delighted – he would get his green lawn with all the many associated benefits and he felt he had achieved a satisfactory solution to the watering and survival concerns he had.
I encourage retailers to make sure that they present these ‘water-sensible’ lawn options to their customers. I genuinely believe most consumers when making the ‘lawn or no lawn’ decision need only a little encouragement and some expert advice.
Even a buffalo lawn which is sold only as instant turf still represents future sales for garden retailers. They still need fertilising and get weeds, particularly after a harsh summer or cool winter. Just as importantly lawns make garden beds look even better and we know customers will spend money to maintain a nice garden.”
Ozren Valcic, General Manager, Brunnings Garden Products
What about Synthetic Turf?
Tiger Turf seems to be an innovative company. I have seen their displays at MIFGS and the ABC Gardening Australia Expo. Their Marketing Manager Jo Prothero told me that they were happy with their sales situation into landscape and home garden areas. The business started in 1981 and was primarily involved with sports grounds such as bowls, cricket etc. They are now a large company with offices in New Zealand and England.
“We are not a ‘me too’ company. Tiger Turf has a substantial R & D investment to ensure that they keep ahead of the competition,” said Jo.
Landscape is serviced through landscape partners and training on installation is critical. Home gardens are serviced via Garden Centres through HG Turf and others.
Four Key Benefits of a Lawn are
Lawns help purify and cool the air. An average front lawn offers the same cooling effect as 2.5 air conditioners.
Lawns are an important source of plant oxygen exchange. A 15m X 15m turf area will sustain oxygen requirements for a family of four.
Lawns increase home & property value.
Lawns assist dust stabilization.
Courtesy of Turf Producers Association of Victoria.
It’s clear that debate will rage over the question of lawns but it’s clear that gardeners in many areas still want an area of lawn. It’s clear too that they are now choosing the grasses that are more suited to Australia’s climate.
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