Growers are already queuing up to add the new TurfBreed variety Augusta Zoysia to their range, known as Zeon Zoysia in the United States this grass has an established track record of high-end performance.
Since its official launch in May, TurfBreed’s New South Wales (NSW) business development manager Ann McKeon said a number of growers in NSW and Queensland (QLD) had signed on to plant their first fields of Augusta Zoysia during the coming months.
Ann said invited growers and those who had approached her understood the value of being able to offer an exclusive, premium quality higher-priced turf.
“At the moment, we’ve got Empire Zoysia and Nara Native Zoysia,” she said.
“Both are great grasses sitting at pretty much the same sort of price point and there’s a number of other grasses around that $10-$14 price point, but there’s nothing above that.
“So, there’s nothing to differentiate quality, as such. The growers recognise that at the $20-plus mark it’s a select market for sure, but they can talk the right customers up to that.”
Ann said the high calibre of contractors and landscapers who buy from those farms was an important factor.
She expected they (the growers) would have little trouble pitching Augusta Zoysia to well-off clients living in prestige areas, especially in the northern suburbs and northern beaches of Sydney, or those with larger properties such as gated communities or resorts.
“Word of mouth will start to travel from there,” she said.
It will be a year to 18-months before the new growers can harvest the Augusta, but by then Ann expects pent-up demand to be high thanks to some serious ‘lawn envy’.
Ask her to explain why, and Ann launches into a string of superlatives.
“It’s the sort of grass that you want to lie down on and roll around in and wrap yourself around with, it’s just delightful,” she said.
“It is just gorgeous. It is. It’s another level of grasses. You see a beautifully trimmed and maintained lawn and you think, ‘Oh gee, that looks nice’. But you see this (Augusta), and it is just scrumptious. It really is.
And as far as a customer is concerned, there’s going to be a degree of, ‘I’ve got the best, the latest, the bee’s knees’.”
Andrews Turf Supplies co-owner Rebecca Sciberras (pictured) agreed, describing Augusta as the grass equivalent of a Mercedes Benz car, but with low maintenance and shade and drought tolerant characteristics.
“It’s a premium grass and something that not all farms will be able to offer,” she said.
“It’s more of an exclusive grass that only people who are willing to pay top dollar will get. I have sold this type of grass before and people love it when it takes. And if it’s looked after it is a beautiful grass. If someone wants something special in their yard and they want it to look good, like a bowling green, this is it.”
Rebecca said the only trick with Augusta was the preparation required before laying the turf.
She said the ground must be prepared differently to many other varieties because of its preference for well-drained sandy soils that don’t inhibit root development.
“This is new for us and we’re still learning about it,” she said. “But as a reseller, Augusta is definitely something that we will offer our customers along the way.”
Dad & Dave’s Turf owner Graeme Colless (pictured) said he was looking forward to planting 3 hectares of Augusta Zoysia once the assigned paddocks were ready in February.
As specialists in producing turf for golf courses, sports fields and commercial renovations, Graeme said he did not expect Augusta to be any more or less difficult to grow than other Zoysia varieties.
“It’s very well marketed. That’s the main reason we’ve gone for it,” he said.