Every week, we get phone calls from South-East Queenslanders trying to make the best patch up job on their Queensland Blue couch lawn. They’ve heard about Aussiblue, and have the same questions:
Is Aussiblue like Queensland Blue?
Will these two varieties blend side by side?
At West Turf we love both these varieties, but only stock Aussiblue. Here’s how we answer the Aussiblue / Queensland Blue challenge.
Blue couch origins at West Turf
When we first started in turf in the 1990s, Queensland Blue was the top-ranking couch variety in South-East Queensland. We sold truckloads of it from our old farms in the Gatton area, so we are confident many yards in our local patch still boast Queensland Blue couch lawns.
If the home you are living in installed a couch lawn pre-2010, chances are it’s Queensland Blue couch. Back then, it appealed to a range of customers:
- lawn enthusiasts looking for the perfectly-cylinder-mowed lawn,
- lazy or equally busy residential customers that neglected their lawn for one reason or another, and
- Council’s, builders, landscapers, sporting clubs and everyone in between.
Strangely, Queensland Blue is not native to Queensland. It was brought to Australia by settlers during the 1800s. It thrived in the Queensland subtropical climate and became renowned as a spectacular luxury lawn that could also do it tough under high traffic and even cope with drought.
We loved it so much, we planted Queensland Blue at our own home in Fernvale in 1997, harvested from our old farm near Gatton.
The “blue” trend in turf
As the years went by, turf trends changed and a “new blue” emerged on the scene, Aussiblue, a hybrid developed in Queensland from the same family as Queensland Blue.
Word spread about the performance, look and feel of this new couch breed, and by 2014 at West Turf we decided to replace our Queensland Blue supply with Aussiblue.
Don’t get us wrong, Queensland Blue remains a dependable standout in many yards, parks, golf courses, etc, but nowadays it can be tricky to source as farms and turf traders favour the new breed of blue.
Will the new blue blend with the old blue?
So, what do you do, if you have a beautiful yard of Queensland Blue, and the dog’s dug holes, or you’ve built a pool, or got rid of the trampoline, etc and just need a few sqm to returf an area?
You don’t want or need to rip the whole yard up and start again, but it’s tricky to find a supplier of your trusty Queensland Blue. Will Aussiblue match in with your existing couch?
Our answer is : mostly, yes!
Here are our reasons why Aussiblue is a great substitute for Queensland Blue couch.
Queensland Blue versus Aussiblue:
Queensland Blue | Aussiblue | |
Colour | blue / green | green / blue |
Leaf | fine, soft | fine-mid, super soft |
Growth | fast | faster |
Seed head | moderate – high | low |
Mowing (growth season) | once a week height 25-30mm | once a week height 25-30mm |
Wear tolerance | High | High |
Shade tolerance | Low | Low to medium |
These images are from our home backyard – not the farm. Aussiblue was planted in 2024 to “blend” in with our existing Queensland Blue planted 25 years ago.
The area is mowed by a robot mower, not irrigated, and not fertilised. It’s a great representation of how these varieties look side by side.
See below where the two varieties meet.
Breaking down the differences:
Colour difference:
Queensland Blue lawns over time are prone to invasion by common green couch and will become a little less true blue. It happens naturally. So, the colour difference between your well-established Queensland Blue lawn and a new Aussiblue patch will be minimal. Queensland Blue will be bluer during winter.
Leaf difference:
There is very little difference in the size and shape of the leaf between the two varieties, but Aussiblue has a significantly softer feel underfoot than Queensland Blue.
Growth difference:
By the end of a week in perfect growth conditions, Aussiblue would noticeably outgrow Queensland Blue. Aussiblue is denser in growth too and holds out weeds very well.
Seed head difference:
Queensland Blue naturally produces more seed head than Aussiblue. Also, a stressed lawn will produce more seed head than a healthy, fed and watered lawn. Seed head makes a lawn look untidy. To prevent this being an issue, mow your lawn regularly (once a week in growth season), water deeply once to twice a week, and feed with a good quality slow-release fertiliser three to four times per year.
Mowing difference:
Both Aussiblue and Queensland Blue will need a mow once a week in the warmer months of growth season – October through to March. Optimum mower height is 25-30mm for both couches. During the colder months, growth rates slow considerably, and mowing will be far less.
Wear tolerance difference:
There is no real difference in wear tolerance between these two varieties. Aussiblue is softer in the leaf, but a super-hero in growth, so it will repair itself well if damaged. Queensland Blue is also a strong grower and takes a lot of traffic before its damaged.
Shade tolerance difference:
The Aussiblue couch variety has an improved shade tolerance to its relative coping with 5-6 hours of sun per day. Queensland Blue is a full sun variety.
“Blues” differences, short & sweet:
In summary, here are the basic, obvious differences between Aussiblue and Queensland Blue side by side in the same space with the same conditions:
- Aussiblue is slightly greener.
- Without consistent mowing, Aussiblue will look longer in the leaf
- Queensland Blue will have more seed head than Aussiblue.
- Aussiblue has a softer feel underfoot.
- Aussiblue tolerates a small amount of shade. Queensland Blue needs full sun.
We are spoilt for choice with turf varieties available on the market in South-East Queensland today. At West Turf, we love Aussiblue as a stand-out, soft and luxurious couch breed that is super tough and durable. It has been developed in Queensland for Queensland conditions and is an improvement on the old version of Queensland Blue. Is your preference to replace your whole lawn? You won’t regret updating to Aussiblue. It is also a great solution for patching a spot in your existing Queensland Blue lawn.
Is there something more your need to know, give us a call on 1300 871 366.
