By Rick Pullman in General News on 23rd Jun 2009 6:10
The use of lower maintenance turfgrasses is increasing in Australia. The reasons for this trend are numerous. Restrictions on water use, environmental concerns, regulations on pesticide usage and shrinking maintenance budgets for non-showcase turfgrass areas are a few reasons to consider using low maintenance grasses.
In the past, low intensity grasses did not provide the quality needed for use in areas that also contained intensively managed high quality turf. However, with the advent of improved low maintenance varieties of fine fescues it is now much easier to integrate low maintenance grasses into high quality turfgrass areas.
Fine Fescue Improvements
The fine fescues are traditionally known as fine textured, low maintenance, shade tolerant turfgrasses. However, recent breeding advances have expanded the range of use, improving the heat and drought tolerance of all species. These species can now be used in sun & shade over a much broader climatic range than traditionally thought.
Fine Fescue Characteristics
The fine fescue can be divided into two subtypes based on genetic relationships, red and hard fescues. The hard fescues, including hard, sheep and blue fescue, have traditionally been known as the species that are more drought tolerant and require lower nitrogen. The red fescues, including chewings, strong creeping red and slender creeping red fescues, germinate more rapidly and have better Winter and Spring growth.
Superior Red Fescues
Recent trials have shown that improved chewings & red fescues can be used for many of the turf sites traditionally reserved for hard & blue, while capturing the advantages of the red fescues. The newest red fescues are much more drought tolerant, have excellent heat tolerance and can be used for low maintenance sites, while retaining the rapid germination, excellent Spring and Winter growth and low mowing tolerance of the red fescues. They can be used from high maintenance golf greens, tees and fairways to low maintenance golf roughs, parks and home lawns. The hard fescues continue to be the grass of choice in areas of dense, dry shade. It is also important to remember that the chewings and hard fescues are both bunch grasses so for some uses chewings fescues many be the better substitute for the hard fescues.
Check out our website for more information on all of our fine fescue varieties.
For more information on any of our products visit us at www.adseed.com.au or phone (03) 9462 0340
Email sales@adseed.com.au
