Plateau - Green Couch - Lawn
Scientific name: Cynodon dactylon.
Other names: Species common name: Green couch, Bermudagrass (USA).
Cultivar name: Plateau.
Origin: Selected in 1975 from a spontaneous mutation of common green couch by Peter Brown at Collaroy Plateau, New South Wales, Australia.
Global growing areas: Australia. Sold to Hong Kong.
IP protection: Australian PBR certificate 2058 (7 July 2002). United States Plant Patent PP13059 (published 10 August 2002).
Details
- Texture: Medium and dense.
- Description: Dark green leaves, with a flat presentation. Dense prostrate growth habit. Short unmown height compared with other Cynodon dactylon cultivars. Long (30-50 mm) red/purple stolons with frequent nodes (averaging 5 per cm). Strong rhizome development. Leaves short (18.5-23.5 mm) and narrow (2.0-2.5 mm). Medium rate of seed head production.
- Use: Domestic and commercial lawns, golf courses, parks and playing fields, nature strips, roadside verges, tennis courts and golf greens.
- Mowing height: Domestic lawns 8-12 mm every 3-5 weeks in summer, 14-18 mm every 6-8 weeks in winter. Lower mowing heights help prevent excessive thatch build up. Maintain the same mowing height in both sun and shade.
- Highly managed surfaces: 2-3 mm.
- Method of propagation: Sod, plugs and stolon and rhizome pieces.
- Preferred soil types: Loams. Responds to soil organic matter.
Comments:
Out-performs other Cynodon dactylon cultivars for shade tolerance. Suited to applications under many tree canopies, as well as in full sun. Rapid rates of lateral extension growth. Due to prostrate growth habit, tends to form a heavy thatch. Scarify once or twice a year, preferably in spring. Lower than normal mowing requirement due to near horizontal growth habit. Less prone to scalping than more upright green couches. Presents best on a level ground surface. Copes with tropical cloud cover.
Tolerances
- Heat: Good.
- Cold: Fair colour retention in winter, provided the grass isn´t frosted.
- Shade: Produces reasonable quality turf under 60% shade. Not as tolerant of heavy shade (20% of full sun).
- Drought: Good. Re-greens rapidly after droughting.
- Salinity: Not particularly salt tolerant.
- Wear: Hard wearing. Recovers quickly.
- Herbicide sensitivity: Similar to other green couch cultivars.
- Pests and diseases: Very susceptible to couch smut caused by Ustilago cynodontis. Can be difficult to obtain uncontaminated stock. Also susceptible to spring dead spot caused by Leptosphaeria spp. Pests as per other Cynodon dactylon cultivars.
Photos used on this page are not necessarily photos from DEEDI
For more information and updates on warm season turfgrasses, their production and management please go to http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/turf
For updates on Plateau please go to http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/26_14993.htm
