Tahoma31 is fast becoming Australia’s New Alpha Grass, lawn fanatics and turf managers of some of Australia’s largest stadiums all agree – it’s an unbelievable grass.

Tahoma31 is a great, low-maintenance, amazing coloured grass, that doesn’t require the same sort of maintenance as other Bermuda grasses in Australia at the moment.

Here are some Tahoma31 Bermuda care tips that we recommend:

Mowing:

Tahoma31 requires less mowing than most other Bermuda lawns in Australia; we recommend once a week during growing season.

Avoid scalping / scarifying after mid summer and consider in late spring – although not needed as much as other hybrids if at all, we certainly haven’t seen the thatch that other Bermuda grasses are displaying, it’s actually quite amazing.

Tahoma31 recovers well after scalping but try to remove a third of leaf at a time only – new growth can mow again – reason being that when too much leaf taken it needs to take energy out of storage and can weaken root system.

Of course, we always recommend a slightly longer length for the cooler months. Lift mower height in autumn then can mow every now and then (just tips) over winter to keep tidy and boost colour.

Watering:

Tahoma31 Bermuda requires up to 18% less water than most other Bermuda or Couch varieties. Once established, we recommend watering less frequently, but heavier soakings to encourage a deep root structure.

Tahoma 31 consistently ranked in the lowest Evapotranspiration (water-use) group in turf trials

Fertilising:

Tahoma31 requires less fertiliser than most other Bermuda / couch varieties in Australia. We recommend fertilising maybe every 6 weeks over the growing season. We also recommend using a range of fertilisers, such as organics, NPK-based, natural and liquid fertilisers to ensure you’re giving the lawn all the vital nutrients it needs to encourage healthy growth

• Fertilise on occasion with synthetic high NPK fertiliser (every 6 weeks over Spring / Summer).
• Use an organic dusting dynamic lifter or equivalent once / twice per growing season.
• Use iron / manganese foliar if deeper colour required makes for less mowing.
• PGR (primo or similar) will tighten sward and allow lower mowing also helping in shade.

Pests / Fungal Issues:

Tahoma31 Bermuda is a hardy lawn that is less prone to getting nasty pests damaging it, but we always recommend keeping an eye out for signs of pests and treating immediately. A common lawn grub that can cause significant damage to Bermuda grasses is the Couch Mite – If your lawn starts to go off colour and ‘witches brooming’ just treat is with Mitacide and it’ll be fine in no time.

Keep an eye out for Army Worm, the little green caterpillars that come out at night and eat the leaf of your lawn, leaving you with brown patchy sections (almost like you have scalped the lawn). They only attach to healthy lawns and are most common from December through to May. Don’t stress, treat immediately with an grub insecticide to help control any infestations. Tahoma31 is amazing and will come back quickly if there is any pest damage.

Watch for fungal issues especially in periods like this wet / changing temps – turf will look poor, lose colour – treat with fungicide if necessary.

Weeding:

Tahoma31 Bermuda has a unique spreading pattern preventing any weeds from germinating; so it’s basically acting as a natural weed matt. However, occasionally you might get a few stubborn weeds pop up and we always recommend keeping an eye out for this and controlling the issue early to avoid lawn invasion especially in Autumn and Winter when your lawn is dormant.