Species common names
Blue couch, Swazi grass

Cultivar name
Aussiblue

104

Selected by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries at Grafton from an out-crossing population produced from seed, which was introduced into Australia in the late 1960s.

Australia (available from licensed commercial growers).

Australian PBR certificate #2058 (granted 7 July 2002)

Texture
Fine-medium, with a soft leaf.

Description
Very long stolons. Attractive uniformly blue-green leaves. Leaf sheath length 16.9-21.1 mm, width 2.4-3.0 mm (4^th node from tip of stolon) (data from PBR growing trial).

Use
Domestic and commercial lawns, low maintenance sports fields and parkland.

Mowing height
25-35 mm

Method of propagation
Vegetative sod, stolons

Preferred soil types
Sands and loams but adaptable to light clays. Grows well on neutral to acid soils; tolerant of very acid soils (pH 5.5 and lower).

Comments
Vigorous lateral stolon growth (averaging 1400 mm from a 45 mm plug in 100 days, 24% more than Queensland blue couch). (Data from PBR growing trial).

Maintains a closer, tighter mat of stolons giving better ground surface coverage than for common Queensland blue couch. More resistant to weed invasion in South East Queensland than other warm-season grasses, particularly under low fertility conditions.

Minimal seed head production. Seed heads are taller than on common Queensland blue couch. Under a normal mowing regime (fortnightly in winter and weekly in summer) few, if any, seed heads will be produced.

Heat
Excellent

Cold
Retains colour in winter in South East Queensland. Recovers quickly from frost. Browns off with heavy frost.

Shade
Moderate. More shade tolerant than Queensland blue couch and most green couch cultivars.

Drought
Excellent drought tolerance. Deep rooted. Responds quickly to moisture.

Salinity
Not tolerant

Wear
Fair

Herbicide sensitivity
Similar to common Queensland blue couch. Not tolerant of MSMA or DSMA.

Lawn grubs (army worm, sod webworm).

Shows resistance to dollar spot.