Episode: Ten
Date: 10th May 2008
Presenter: Neville Passmore and Trevor Cochrane
Story Title: Turf and Ornamental Grasses

With the winter rains coming now, it is the perfect time to start planting a new lawn. Trevor and Neville have some fantastic tough varieties that need just a third of the mowing that your average varieties require. These varieties are almost no irrigation rippers and can even withstand long periods of shade.

Featured Product: Powerfeed

• Gives all gardens a quick acting "pick me up"
• Turns sticky clay soils in friable soils without the use of gypsum
• Stimulates beneficial microbial activity
• Reduces nitrate leaching from sandy soils by up to 67%
• Allows increased plant uptake of trace elements
• Improves moisture retention
• Increases number of flowers and fruit
• Increases shelf life of cut flowers

PowerFeed is the only product widely available in the home garden market in Australia that provides the amazing benefits of Concentrated Liquid Composts.

Featured Plant: Palmetto Buffalo
Aesthetics
 

• Uses- Home & Commercial 
• Color- Dark Green 
• Blade Width- 8-9mm
• Autmun Colour- Retention  Excellent
• Spring Greenup- Excellent

Function
 

• Soils- Sandy, Sandy Loam, Clay 
• Growth- Rapid Horizontal growth   
• Wear- Fair
• Injury Recovery- Excellent
• Insects- Selective Resistance 
• Diseases- Selective Resistance

Climate

• Heat- Excellent
• Cold- Very Good
• Shade- Very Good 
• Drought- Good
• Salt- Excellent

Care

• Mower- Standard Rotary 
• Height- 3.8cm to 6.4cm 
• Weed Control- Good

Featured Product- Ozbreed

Ozbreed is a well known plant and turf breeder specializing in grasses, and grass like ornamental plants, and tough turf varieties. A family owned company by Todd and Marina Layt, Ozbreed focuses on varieties that are low maintenance, drought resistant and overall attractive, unique plant and grass varieties.

Featured Plant- Empire Zoysia (Zoysia japonica ‘SS500’)
Aesthetics

• Eye catching dark green colour.
• Luxurious soft-to-the-touch feel.
• Fine, tight leaf blade growth.
• Great autumn / winter colour

Climatic

• Grows Australia wide
• Thrives in extreme heat and humidity
• Excellent cold hardiness

Environmental

• Low water use due to deep root system
• Reduce fertilizer requirements
• Less insecticide, herbicide and fungicide usage

Functionality

• Grows in clay and sandy soil types.
• Durable and robust.
• Vigorous re-growth from underground rhizomes.
• Rapid injury recovery.
• Good resistance to insects and diseases.
• Moderate to good shade tolerance.

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Featured Plant: Cassa Blue (Diannella caerulea ‘DBB03’)

Description
This tough, drought and frost tolerant Dianella caerulea's foliage grows to approximately 40cm tall with a spread of 40 cm. Its form is more of a clumping Dianella caerulea rather than spreading. Its stunning blue foliage, and highly desirable size and shape, make it the ideal plant for commercial landscapes, and home garden designs.

Uses
Colour contrasting plant. Mass planting, accent plant, foliage or grassy gardens. Low water requirement gardens.

Position
Tolerates a wide range of soils and climatic conditions. Suited to full sun as well as partially shaded positions. Hardy with excellent cold, heat, frost and drought tolerance.

Care
Trim older leaves annually as required to maintain a neat appearance. Plant in a well mulched garden. Apply a slow release fertiliser once per year in Spring.

Conditions
Prefers free draining soils or  mounded (raised) sites if the soil is a clay type. Cassa Blue has good cold tolerance, and it remains evergreen with a blue colour. Once per year remove any older leaves. This can generally be done very quickly.


Contact

Ozbreed Pty Ltd
Phone: (02) 4578 0866
Website: www.ozbreed.com.au
Email: info@ozbreed.com.au

Contact
Seasol International Pty Ltd
1027 Mountain Hwy (PO Box 160)
Bayswater Victoria Australia 3153
Telephone: +61 3 9729 6511
Facsimilie: +61 3 97204792
Website: www.seasol.com.au