Trimming Different Australian Grass Types

Australian lawns are as diverse as the country itself. From the soft, shade-tolerant buffalo grass popular in Sydney to the aggressive kikuyu that dominates Brisbane backyards, each grass type has unique characteristics that affect how you should trim it. Using the wrong technique can leave your lawn looking patchy, scalped, or stressed.

This guide covers the most common Australian lawn grasses and provides specific trimming advice for each. Understanding your grass type helps you achieve better results while keeping your lawn healthy and attractive.

Buffalo Grass (Sir Walter, Sapphire, Palmetto)

Buffalo grass is Australia's most popular lawn variety, prized for its shade tolerance, soft texture, and relatively low maintenance. It's the dominant grass in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth gardens.

Trimming Characteristics

• Broad, soft leaves that cut easily
• Grows from stolons (above-ground runners)
• Sensitive to scalping—recovers slowly from damage
• Ideal height: 35-65mm depending on variety and sun exposure

Best Trimming Practices

Buffalo's broad leaves are easy on trimmer line, but the grass is unforgiving of mistakes. Scalping buffalo grass exposes the brown thatch layer and can take weeks to recover.

• Use a light touch—buffalo cuts easily without aggressive pressure
• Avoid trimming when the grass is wet (promotes fungal disease)
• Edge vertically along paths but maintain height horizontally around obstacles
• In shaded areas, trim higher (buffalo grows longer in shade)

Kikuyu Grass

Kikuyu is the workhorse of Australian lawns, particularly in Queensland and northern NSW. It's drought-tolerant, hard-wearing, and grows aggressively—sometimes too aggressively.

Trimming Characteristics

• Tough, fibrous stems that are harder on trimmer line
• Rapid growth, especially in warm weather—may need weekly trimming
• Aggressive runners that invade garden beds
• Tolerates lower cutting heights (25-40mm)
• Recovers quickly from heavy trimming

Best Trimming Practices

Kikuyu's vigorous growth makes it both easy and challenging to trim. It recovers quickly from mistakes but also demands frequent attention to prevent it taking over.

• Use heavier line (2.0mm+) for durability against tough stems
• Consider twisted or star-shaped line for more aggressive cutting
• Edge garden beds regularly to prevent runner invasion
• Don't fear cutting it back hard—it bounces back quickly
• Higher power trimmers work better on thick kikuyu growth

Couch Grass (Bermuda Grass)

Couch grass is popular for sports fields and home lawns that need to handle heavy foot traffic. It's found across Australia but thrives particularly in hot, sunny conditions.

Trimming Characteristics

• Fine-textured leaves that create a dense carpet
• Tolerates very low cutting (15-35mm)
• Goes dormant (turns brown) in cold winters
• Aggressive spreading via runners and underground rhizomes
• Moderate difficulty to cut—between buffalo and kikuyu

Best Trimming Practices

Couch's fine texture and low growth habit make it relatively easy to trim, but its spreading nature requires vigilance along borders.

• Match your trimming height to your mowing height for a uniform appearance
• Standard 1.6-2.0mm line works well
• Edge regularly to prevent couch creeping onto paths and driveways
• Trim dormant couch in winter only to tidy—it won't grow back until spring
• Be particularly careful around garden beds as couch spreads underground

Zoysia Grass

Zoysia is gaining popularity for its drought tolerance and low maintenance requirements. Common in Queensland and northern NSW, it's known for its carpet-like density.

Trimming Characteristics

• Dense, wiry texture that can be tough on line
• Slow-growing—less frequent trimming needed
• Ideal height: 25-50mm
• Slow to recover from damage
• Forms dense thatch over time

Best Trimming Practices

• Use quality line—zoysia's wiry texture accelerates line wear
• Trim at mowing height or slightly higher
• Avoid scalping—zoysia is slow to recover
• Less aggressive edging than kikuyu—growth is slower
• Consider slightly higher cutting heights to maintain density

Cool-Season Grasses (Ryegrass, Fescue, Bluegrass)

Cool-season grasses are common in southern Australia, particularly in Melbourne, Adelaide, Tasmania, and highland areas. They stay green in winter but struggle in hot summers.

Trimming Characteristics

• Soft, easily cut leaves
• Ideal height: 40-75mm (higher than warm-season grasses)
• Active growth in spring and autumn
• Stress easily in summer heat
• Bunch-forming (fescue) or spreading (ryegrass)

Best Trimming Practices

• Maintain higher cutting heights than warm-season grasses
• Light line and gentle technique work well on soft leaves
• Avoid heavy trimming in summer when the grass is stressed
• Spring and autumn are ideal for more aggressive edging work
• Be gentle around the crown of bunch-forming fescues

General Tips for All Grass Types

Matching Line Type to Grass Type

The right trimmer line makes a difference:

• Soft grasses (buffalo, ryegrass): Standard round line works well (1.6-2.0mm)
• Tough grasses (kikuyu, zoysia): Heavier line (2.0-2.4mm) or twisted/star-shaped profiles
• Mixed lawns: Go with heavier line—it handles soft grass fine but copes better with tough patches

Understanding your lawn's grass type and its specific needs helps you achieve professional-looking results while keeping your turf healthy. When in doubt, err on the side of cutting higher—you can always take more off, but you can't put it back on.