Compadre Zoysia at the Darwin Waterfront Precinct - Brilliant!!

Darwin Waterfront Precinct

Major projects are inevitably fraught with complexities, time delays and both minor and major problems. Where these involve landscaping, tempers usually get very short………..as almost always, with the landscaping being among the last major activities, it gets time challenged, cost challenged and yet……….it has to be ready on time, and look fantastic.

Compadre zoysia was chosen as the grass of choice for the Waterfront project and because it was to be sown by seed, that challenge was even more complicated, as around 12 – 20 weeks were needed after sowing, to have it visitor ready at the opening. Many smaller areas were able to be sown much earlier, and have been grown relatively easily, but much of the main area in front of the hotels was always going to be near the very end, and initially suffered because of that delay that then ran into the weather problems.

There most certainly have been a few challenges along the way, and although we had factored into the scenario a local supply of some Compadre zoysia turf to meet those final last minute problems, the seed sowing also had a few of its own problems, caused by late sowing and very heavy monsoon rain soon after sowing. Weeds were an issue, with the area here, initally weedy with sedges, being managed, and converted into the area in the first photo below.


However, this and other issues were successfully managed, and fixed and the Compadre has thrived on the whole area.

The photos below were taken late October 2009, about 9 months after sowing. It looks fabulous……….soft to walk on, non itchy, reduced mowing frequency ………all it was chosen for initially.



Lush grass......

Great vista across the Compadre turf



Compadre zoysia is tolerant of wear around seats and high activity areas



It really offers a smart, water efficient, low maintenance, wear tolerant, low fertiliser requirement and atractive turf for domestic and commercial areas, including parks and ovals in the north of Australia.........and can be established at low cost.

Turf Laying - Tips and Tricks

Laying turf is not all that difficult. As in most things, some reasonable preparations make the experience more pleasant. Lifting and moving the rolls of sod is heavy work, but it can pay off handsomely.....instant lawn!

A good friable, ripped or cultivated sub grade or base, covered by a modest amount of a clean, weed free sandy topsoil are prime ingredients. Locally, coarse sand is a preferred option based on cost and availability and most importantly.......it does generally come free of weeds. However, any sandy topsoil can be used effectively. Turf grows best in the medium and longer term on a sandy soil. It compacts less and allows higher infiltration. At least 50mm is needed. Avoid heavier clay or silty soils. They can be very hard when drier.

Have the area graded to the desired level - even by hand is satisfactory. Place a good NPK mixed fertiliser on the topsoil, ie below the turf sod. Plan for the finished height to be at or slightly below any hard surfaces such as paths.

Lay out the turf rolls and open them out. Make sure they are tightly butted together, along and between the row. Cut and trim the turf around objects. It gets tricky when odd shaped areas are involved, so have a plan to allow for those issues. You can work across the turf as you lay the area, and I prefer to use a plank on the area if you are moving turf rolls into place by wheelbarrow. This option reduces the chance of any indentations developing.

Thoroughly roll the area with a moderate weight roller to ensure good contact between the turf and the topsoil, then water thoroughly. A quick light weight roll the next day is often worthwhile to ensure close contact between sod and topsoil after the area has settled a little.

Keep the area well watered for at least 7-14 days, depending on the weather. This is absolutely vital in warmer areas, and may mean irrigation several times a day, particularly in daylight hours for a few days. In warm weather root development is usually very quick if water is readily available......fine roots extending into the topsoil are seen within a few days. That is what you want.....they are searching for water and nutrients, and these roots will quickly anchor the sod.

What you do not want is something like this situation below, seen recently on a major unit development. The turf was probably laid before Christmas..........and ignored. Turf can be tough and recover, but at least give it a fair chance of surviving. Turf sod is more expensive, and laying turf correctly will protect your investment in an instant lawn.

I guess these areas were not watered after laying the turf..........plus a few other issues too!