Comparisons
The main warm season turf types used on sports ovals and public open space are couch and kikuyu. Kikuyu is often classed as a poor cousin to couch for use on club level ovals. But with the advent of Village Green and its superior winter activity this has now changed. See below a table comparing the attributes of Village Green compared with couch and kikuyu.
|
Winter Colour and activity |
Wear Tolerance |
Weed competition |
Drought Tolerance |
Fertiliser Requirement |
Renovation tolerance |
Mowing requirement |
Shade tolerance |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Village Green |
Green and active all year round |
High year round due to winter activity |
High due to density |
Good due to rhizomes/ root system |
Low due to extensive root system |
Handles heavy renovations due to rhizomes |
Use reel or rotary mower. |
|
| Couch |
Can go dormant in winter |
Low in winter |
Can be low due to winter dormancy |
|
High to maintain acceptable colour |
|
Best with a reel mower. |
|
| Common Kikuyu |
Not as winter active as Village Green |
Not as winter active as Village Green |
Not as winter active as Village Green |
Less extensive root/rhizome system |
Less extensive root/rhizome system |
Less extensive root/rhizome system |
|
|
| Legend | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Excellent |  |
Good |  |
Fair |  |
Poor |
Couch ComparisonCompared to couch Village Green is a superior alternative:
|
Kikuyu ComparisonWhen compared to kikuyu Village Green outperforms:
To quantify the advantage Village Green has over common types of Kikuyu, measurements of stolon thickness, internode length and root volume were taken and compared. The results in the table below speak for themselves. |
Strips of common kikuyu and Village Green were planted side by side on an oval in a high wear, poor soil area in front of the club house. Both had the same maintenance and wear.
The photos above tell the story. Village green retains its density and deep green colour under high wear and poor soil conditions.
Village Green was bred for these conditions with a massive root system and strong productive stolons
Comparative trial work has demonstrated the advantages that Village Green has over Common Kikuyu.
| Features | Common Kikuyu | Village Green | The Village Green Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Root Length | 450 mm | 930 mm | More than double the root volume for more efficient uptake of nutrient & water |
| Stolons Thickness | 3.4 mm | 4.4 mm | 30% thicker stolons for greater sod strength and better survival |
| Internode length | 77 mm | 43 mm | 45% shorter internode length for higher density |
| Winter Colour | 2.8 rating | 5.0 rating | Improved winter colour for year round quality |
Village Green is suited to growing in areas across Southern Australia but is not suited to the tropics. It is best suited to sites that receive more than an average of 4 hrs sunlight per day.