TifTuf Bermuda Turf

The world’s first turf type with the Smart Approved Watermark, TifTuf has been bred especially to stand up to drought conditions and the tough Aussie climate.

A one of a kind hybrid Bermudagrass, TifTuf was developed by the world’s leading turf scientists. After 25 years of research, TifTuf was handselected out of 30,000 different Bermuda varieties for its superior drought tolerance, shade tolerance and wear tolerance.  TifTuf is the new benchmark when it comes to measuring the drought tolerance of turf. It requires 38% less water than other turf varieties and is a tough, sturdy, low-maintenance lawn that thrives in any condition.

Self-repairing and able to retain its vibrant green colour all year round, TifTuf Bermuda will boost both your kerb appeal and your lifestyle!

This fantastic turf variety is as hardy as it is beautiful. An aggressive grower, landscapers and homeowners alike will love its low-maintenance and resiliency.

While TifTuf is known as a Bermudagrass in the U.S, TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda is known as a couch grass here in Australia – and it’s unlike any couch you will have seen before! 

A warm-season turf grass, TifTuf is drought-tolerant and resilient. 

Couch grass thrives in full sun areas and has a strong horizontal growth pattern. This means it can tolerate very low mowing heights. The aggressive growth habit of any couch makes it durable under stress while enabling it to self-repair. This makes couch turf suitable for large areas such as golf courses, football fields, and public open space environments like parks and playgrounds. Couch grasses can grow in a variety of soil types including sandy soil and light clays. While standard couch varieties need at least 5-6 hours of direct sunlight per day, TifTuf Bermuda is shade-tolerant and can survive on as little as 4 hours of direct sunlight per day.

TifTuf Bermuda Turf is available all year round. Unlike other turf varieties, TifTuf has a rapidly establishing root system that can see it take root in as little as 7 days if installed during the growing season!

The biggest thing when it comes to installing TifTuf Turf is to have a well-prepped area. 

Most importantly, ensure your soil base is somewhere between 100-150mm deep. 

Ensure you have removed or sprayed out old grasses and weeds and other materials such as rocks and branches. Spread starter fertiliser as supplied through the top 20-30mm of soil on your prepared area prior to installing your turf. 

Instant turf varieties such as TifTuf are perishable once harvested. This means it’s critical that you install your turf as soon as it’s delivered to your site.

When it comes to installing your TifTuf, the best mode of practice is by doing what’s known as a bricklaying technique. This simply means that you stagger the joins which will help retain turf moisture and promote faster establishment. Once laid, you can use a roller to further ensure good turf to soil contact. Water immediately after installation. TifTuf only needs a fraction of the water other turf varieties require to establish. Once established, water only when there are signs of the grass drying out, as excess irrigation can result in a thatchy looking lawn. Make sure to follow up with another round of fertiliser around 5-6 weeks after installation. You can get more turf installation tips here.

While TifTuf Bermuda is known for retaining superior winter colour and has a shorter dormancy period than other warm season varieties, following a simple fertilising routine will keep it in tip-top shape.

Each year, TifTuf will need a good quality nitrogen fertiliser to maintain its characteristic dark green colour. We recommend using LSA Fertiliser – Premium Lawn Food at a rate of 2kg/100m2. 

Fertilise TifTuf in mid-September for it to green up after winter and fertilise a second time in early April to carry growth on into the cooler winter months. Irrigate after the fertiliser has been applied.

TifTuf growth can be maintained with less fertiliser and water than other turf varieties – making it a more economical choice to maintain over the longer term life of the lawn. Always monitor the growth and health of your lawn prior to application to avoid over-irrigation. 

If you’re installing TifTuf, then we do suggest using a starter fertiliser prior to installation. This helps to prep the base and kickstart your turf growth. After installation, another application of fertiliser will be needed at around the 5-6 week mark.

Bermudagrass is a warm-season turf that is watersmart, drought tolerant and has superior shade-tolerance when compared to other couch varieties.

Maintaining an amazing looking TifTuf lawn is easy for any homeowner. 

For hybrid varieties like TifTuf Bermuda Turf, there are a few important points to follow prior to installation:

• Install as soon as your instant turf is delivered
• Lay on a bed of 100mm to 150mm of quality turf underlay
• Spread starter fertiliser through the top 20-30mm of soil on your prepared area before installing
• Roll turf out to improve contact with soil
• Irrigate after installation and continue until fully established. TifTuf requires less irrigation during establishment than other varieties, so always check its condition prior to watering
• Apply fertiliser 5-6 weeks after installation
• After establishment, water only when grass appears dry
• Follow our Seasonal Care Guide to ensure you always have the best looking lawn in the street!

Bermuda grass thrives in full sun/partial shade with a minimum of 4 hours of direct sunlight per day. New varieties like TifTuf are more shade-tolerant and can maintain their health and vibrancy well into autumn and winter. There are some aftercare products you can use to ensure your TifTuf Bermuda turf remains healthy and happy all year round. We recommend using a turf growth regulator such as Primo Maxx during the peak growing season (November – February). This product forces the grass to grow thicker instead of taller and can increase the density of turf grown in the shade. 

Everyone loves the look of a green lawn! If you want to keep your Bermuda turf looking green all year round, there are a couple of things you can do.

While TifTuf Bermuda can maintain its vibrancy longer than other turf types, it does go into a level of dormancy during the winter months. To keep its dark green hue, you can use a product like ColourGuard. This environmentally-friendly liquid fertiliser contains a natural grass colourant, designed to give your lawn an instant facelift. You can expect results to last up to 3 months after application.

There are some other ways to make Bermuda grass greener:

• Encourage lateral growth by mowing below 25mm
• Dethatch in early sSpring for best results
• Apply quality fertiliser to maintain healthy growth and appearance
• Apply pre-emergent weed herbicide in spring to prevent weeds from germinating
• Apply post-emergent herbicide on visible weeds or by uprooting
• Aerate your lawn in late spring and early summer to enhance stronger growth
• Tackle signs of fungal infections such as brown patch disease

TifTuf Bermudagrass is fast to establish and has an aggressive lateral growth habit. It’s this lateral growth habit which enables TifTuf to self repair from any damage dished out by heavy foot traffic, pet urine, or long periods of zero irrigation. This trait however, also means it’s super invasive if you have it growing in a home yard situation where you have garden beds. If you’re not one for that overgrown look and don’t fancy spending your weekends hand weeding, there are really only two things you can do to keep your garden beds clean: 

• Create a physical border to keep grass out. (This is the least effective theory, but will at least help define a border to assist you with managing given you would potentially still need to maintain with Roundup (or similar Glyphosate product) and/or a whipper snipper).
• Incorporate some barriers in your garden such as rocks or stepping stones (this is a short term fix as all couch runners will still find a way to pop up in even the most arid/roughest ground covers unless you are prepared to use a chemical to maintain – eg Roundup)
• Regularly maintain your lawn to stay on top of intrusive grass growth by whipper snipping the lawn edges and using a Roundup or glyphosate product to curb its growth

While there are herbicides that kill only grasses (and don’t harm plants), most warm-season turf varieties like TifTuf Bermuda are susceptible to chemicals such as glyphosate/Roundup. The best course of action is by pulling vegetation by hand or by using a garden knife. For more extreme cases, you can reduce your Bermuda’s growth by cutting off light with the use of a covering or sunshade.

The only way you can stop Tif Tuf from invading garden beds is to use Roundup/Glyphosate. Otherwise, if you do have a lot of garden beds and don’t want to spend the time chasing away runners, you should look at a less invasive lawn variety like Sir Walter DNA Certified Soft Leaf Buffalo.  

During late spring to early summer, you’ll most likely notice an increase in seed heads in your turf. The best way to prevent seeding is by maintaining a consistent lawn care program. Generally, your TifTuf Bermuda will seed if it’s under stress from extreme weather changes or by underwatering. If you notice seed heads, you can mow them off and then ensure your lawn is getting adequate water, fertiliser, and nutrients through a light top dressing.

It sure can! TifTuf can be installed all year round – unless it’s a high traffic environment (kids and dogs!) or if it’s in shade.

TifTuf will root down in both autumn and winter, however, the shoot growth will be minimal and it will take slightly longer to establish. If you do decide to install in winter, avoid all foot traffic until spring, if possible. 

While TifTuf displays an improved ability to retain superior colour during winter dormancy when compared to other couch lawns, just like all our homegrown warm-season, drought-tolerant turf varieties it may still experience varying degrees of discoloration based on seasonal, environmental and management conditions. 

Despite this, TifTuf has been shown to hold substantially more colour than other couch varieties during the cooler months. It also greens up much faster than other varieties when coming into spring. With TifTuf, the grass is definitely greener on the other side!