Native Grass Lawns

Have you ever wanted to create a native grass lawn but didn’t know where to start?

From the time that native grasses where first cultivated by nurserymen, people have experimented with native grass lawns feeling that it would be a low maintenance alternative to the traditional turf grasses. Some of the most common grass species that have been used include; Microleana (Weeping Grass), Stipa (Spear Grass), Bothriochloa (Red-leg Grass) and Themeda (Kangaroo Grass).

The success rate in establishing a native grass lawn from scratch has been patchy with some good and some bad results. The greatest challenge has been to keep undesirable grass and broad leaf weeds out. The two main ways to control weeds have been hand removal or selective herbicide application, the latter being problematic as many native grasses are sensitive to some herbicides. With the amount of work and dedication needed to maintain a pure monoculture native grass lawn many have abandoned the idea in favour of other groundcover plants such as Viola hederacea, (Native Violet), or Dichondra repens, (Kidney Weed).

So is there a native grass suitable to a native lawn that will require a lower level of maintenance?

Yes there is; Themeda australis ‘Mingo’ (PBR), (Prostrate Kangaroo Grass). Mingo is a warm season native grass with blue prostate foliage that will make an ideal informal native lawn. We say informal because Mingo can’t be mown as low as say a tradition Couch lawn, but rather is mown on a high setting every 1 to 2 months making it a low mow lawn. Mingo will grow and cover the ground with a mat of foliage that makes it hard for weeds to get established. Mingo is also more drought tolerant and harder wearing then other native grasses that have been used for lawns. It has great chemical tolerance making broad leafed weed control easier.

For lawns, plant Viro-tubes of Mingo @ 200mm centres and mow every 3 to 4 weeks during establishment to train the grass. This will encourage a low leaf height. Do this over the first 3 months and then revert to mowing every 1 to 2 months season dependent. There you have it a low mow informal native lawn.