Redgrass

Bothriochloa macra

Varieties:

Bass, LIG 002

Redgrass is a warm season grass and occurs along the eastern seaboard of Australia, mainly in coastal, tablelands and slopes environments. It survives well in harsh dryland conditions where less hardy grasses usually fail. Redgrass is commonly found with Wallaby grass and/or Queensland Bluegrass.

Redgrass is a warm-season perennial grass that has green or reddish leaves. It grows close to the ground with little foliage higher than 10 cm if left unmowed or ungrazed. It produces slender reddish-purple flowering stems, which grow up to 80 cm in summer and early autumn. Redgrass is extremely hardy and can withstand long periods of drought. During the winter, Redgrass enters a dormant period.

Redgrass grows on a variety of soil types but grows best on heavy clays and loams. It is at its best on heavy soils of low fertility and will establish readily on cracking soils. It prefers slightly acid to neutral pH soils.

Low to moderate frost tolerance

High drought and heat tolerance

The seed can be supplied either in hulled form or intact. The seed will germinate only under warm conditions (air temperatures consistently above 25°C). Seed is best sown in spring or early summer. Late autumn seedlings can be damaged by frost. Sow seed on or close to the surface and keep the soil moist. The seedbed needs to be kept weedfree for several months as the seedlings are relatively slow to develop.

Sowing rates: For pasture and revegetation 5-10 kg/ha (florets) and for turf and amenity uses 30-50 kg/ha (florets)

Redgrass has been considered to have only moderate to low forage value in pasture, although it has now been shown to provide valuable fodder over the warmer months. When well managed, it can be a useful perennial pasture. It persists well during droughts and is useful for soil conservation in heavily grazed summer pasture. It's also good for soil conservation on degraded sites and river banks.

It is also useful as a grass cover on light roughs of golf courses. Redgrass produces short rhizomes, so the grass slowly spreads beyond the individual plant and covers the soil completely.

Redgrass is suitable for turf or lawn use, particularly in areas of low rainfall and infertile soils.

Redgrass photos (click to enlarge)

Varieties:

Bass

This variety was developed by Native Seeds for use in amenity and turf applications. It was selected for its ease of establishment, relatively fine leaf texture and upright seedheads. It has proven useful for ultra low maintenance lawns and produces a satisfactory surface with minimal inputs.

Lachlan (LIG 002)

Lachlan was selected from grass populations that originated in the dry pastoral zone and has adapted to high temperatures, low rainfall and regular grazing. This variety was developed by the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation (DLWC) through research funded by DLWC and the Meat and Livestock Association, the Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation and the Victorian Department of Natural Resources and the Environment.