100% Improved Couch Grass – a hardy, fine leaf lawn with extra drought tolerance

Premium quality warm season grass with a fine leaf and self repairing qualities making it great for home lawns with kids and pets. It has high turf density and is also ideal for sports fields and golf fairways.  Royal Bengal Couch is an improved variety that will germinate and establish a dense turf surface with better winter colour.

SIZE 1kg, 5kg, Coated Seed

What is Couch Grass?

Couch (also known as Bermuda Grass) is a warm season low creeping grass that thrives in the summer heat and has excellent drought tolerance. Due to its growth habit it can self repair patches and wear spots.  Couch can cope with high levels of stress and heavy foot traffic so it’s a good choice for lawns, parks and golf courses.  Couch has a fast growth rate in hot months and can tolerate very low mowing heights. It needs a lot of sunlight, typically 8-10 hours a day, so it’s not a good choice for a shady area.

Key Features:

• 100% Pure Improved Couch Seed: Fine Leaf, superior quality lawn.
• Drought Tolerant: Withstands long, hot summers.
• Self-Repairing: Perfect for kids, pets and busy backyards.
• Versatile Uses: Ideal for homes, sports fields.
• Beneficial Coating: Ensures better germination and establishment.

Key Characteristics:

• Drought Tolerance: Excellent
• Heat Tolerance: Excellent
• Wear Tolerance/Pet Tolerance: Excellent
• Self-Repairing Qualities: Excellent
• Establishment Rate: Good (at optimum sowing time)
• Frost Tolerance: Moderate
• Shade Tolerance: Requires Full Sun

Ideal Sowing Times: *To germinate, Couch needs warm soil temperatures.

• Northern NSW, Queensland, Northern WA: Early Spring/Summer/Early Autumn
• NSW/Western Australia/South Australia: Mid Spring/Summer/Early Autumn
• Victoria: Late Spring (Late October/Early November)/Summer/Early Autumn
• FNQ/NT: Spring/Summer/Autumn
• Tasmania: Not recommended.

Quality Rating:  Premium Lawn Surface

Leaf Width

Fine (<3mm)

Sowing Rate:

• New Sowing: 1kg per 100m². 
• Oversowing: Use half sowing rate.

WARM SEASON GRASS:

Royal Bengal Couch thrives in warmer months. In some states where temperatures drop significantly it will go into dormancy, where growth is limited and discoloration can occur. Colour and growth will re-establish when warmer weather returns, however oversowing with a cool season grass can provide all year round colour in colder states prior to winter dormancy. 

To prepare for winter we recommend fertilising twice in Autumn plus the use of a pre-emergent product to strengthen and minimise the appearance of weeds during the dormant season. 

Sowing, Establishment & Maintenance Tips:

• Optimum Soil Type: Sandy Loam. Ask your local soil supplier for a good quality lawn soil mix.
• Starter Fertiliser: Use KickStart Starter Fertiliser to ensure successful germination.
• Sowing: Follow our Sowing Instructions for best results.
• Watering: For the first 30 days after seeding watering may be necessary 3-4 times a day. For best results seed bed should not be allowed to dry out.
• Watering Requirements: Drought tolerant variety. Irrigation is required in extended dry periods. We recommend watering Couch lawns deeply at least once a week in summer or when there is no rainfall.
• Germination Time: In Optimal Conditions you may see germination in 10-12 days.  Note: When sowing out of season this can take longer.  
• Establishment: Allow around 8 weeks for establishment before the onset of Autumn in Southern States or before any significantly cooler weather in your location.
• Regular Fertilising: Follow our Fertilising Instructions to ensure your lawn stays healthy throughout the seasons including Autumn and Spring fertilising.
• Mowing: First mow: When well established at around 40-50mm height. Take only the tips and gradually reduce blade height. To keep a quality lawn maintain a regular mowing schedule. 

Download Royal Bengal Couch Seed Information Sheet & Sowing Guide

Royal Bengal Couch FAQs

1. Will Royal Bengal Couch creep into other areas of my garden?

Royal Bengal Couch grass spreads across as it grows meaning it needs maintenance around edges or garden beds.

2. When is the best time for sowing Royal Bengal Couch seed?

The best time to sow Couch grass in Australia is during the warmer months, typically from spring to early summer (around September/October to December).  In Melbourne the best time to sow is late October as soil temperatures are still very low in early Spring.

3. Does it go dormant? Will it stay green in Winter?

Royal Bengal Couch lawns will go into a dormant phase in locations with cold winters. This means that soil temperatures are too low for it to continue to grow. Activity and growth will return with warmer weather. To prepare for winter we recommend fertilising twice in Autumn plus the use of a pre-emergent product. It’s also possible to oversow with a cool season blend in Autumn in these locations so that the lawn still looks very green. Use a blend like Landscape Range All Winter Green.

4. What can I do to make my dormant couch lawn look better in winter?

You can oversow your couch lawn with an annual ryegrass for the winter. This will keep your lawn looking green when temperatures are very low. The annual will phase out when it gets hot again.  See more information about Cool Cover Annual Ryegrass here.

5. Will Royal Bengal Couch grow in a shady area?

Couch lawns need very high sunlight hours.  It is not recommended for areas that do not get at least 8-10 hours of sunlight per day. Couch lawns with shade issues can be oversown with a cool season blend like All Winter Green Blend.