Lawn care in Western Australia
Western Australia's lawns range from the tropical Kimberley, through the arid interior, to warm-temperate Perth and the temperate south coast. Around Perth and the South West, sandy soils and dry summers make watering the biggest part of lawn care, and Water Corporation and the Turf Growers Association of WA publish clear local advice.
Short answer
Western Australia covers tropical, arid, warm-temperate and temperate zones. Around Perth and the South West, lawns grow on sandy, often water-repellent soils through hot, dry summers. Water on your rostered days, using Water Corporation's benchmark of 10 mm twice a week in summer, apply a wetting agent where water beads, feed little and often while lawns grow, and respect the winter sprinkler switch-off.
Western Australia stretches across almost every lawn climate in the country, but most WA lawns are in Perth and the South West. There, the combination of sandy soils and long, dry summers makes lawn care mostly about water: getting it into the soil, applying the right amount, and staying within the roster.
Across Perth and the South West:
- Water on your rostered days. Water Corporation runs a sprinkler roster by address in Perth and other areas it supplies, with a winter switch-off. Check whether a roster applies to you.
- Use the benchmark. Water Corporation suggests 10 mm twice a week in summer for Perth and the South West, and much less in cooler months. A catch-cup test turns that into run times.
- Get water into the sand with a wetting agent and coring.
- Apply for an exemption before laying a new lawn, so you can water it often while it roots.
- Follow WA’s greywater code if you reuse greywater, and dispose of old chemicals through the Household Hazardous Waste Program.
In the tropical north, use the tropical zone on the Lawn Calendar, which follows the wet and dry seasons. In the Goldfields and interior, use the arid and inland zone. Regional water providers and rules differ. [CONFIRM: add official water information links for regional WA water providers]
Grass suitability on this page draws on the Turf Growers Association of WA’s variety notes, written for WA conditions. Your turf supplier can tell you about the varieties they grow.
Climate
- Perth and Mandurah are warm-temperate, with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
- The far north, including the Kimberley, is tropical, with a wet season and a dry season.
- The interior, including Kalgoorlie, is arid and inland, with hot summers and low rainfall.
- Parts of the south are temperate, with cooler winters.
- Many soils around Perth are sands that drain quickly and can become water-repellent.
Best grass types for Western Australia
Soft leaf buffalo needs at least 4 hours of direct sun a day, according to the Turf Growers Association of WA, the least of the main warm-season grasses.
Excellent wear and recovery in full sun; needs at least 5 hours of direct sun.
Excellent wear and recovery and fast-growing; needs 5 to 6 hours of direct sun and regular edging.
Dense and slow-growing with moderate to good wear; needs 5 to 6 hours of sunlight.
The lawn year in Western Australia
Around Perth, sprinklers come back on after the winter switch-off. Do a catch-cup test, apply a wetting agent before the heat, and feed once lawns grow strongly.
Water on your rostered days, early in the morning, raise the mowing height, and watch for lawn grubs and armyworm.
Apply a winter grass pre-emergent in the south before it germinates, and give a final feed while lawns are growing.
The winter sprinkler switch-off applies around Perth. In the tropical north, this is the dry season, when lawns need watering.
Common weeds by season
| Season | Weeds | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn | Winter grass, Bindii | In the south and the arid inland. |
| Winter | Winter grass, Bindii | Treat or dig out while small. |
| Spring | Bindii, Clover, Onion weed | |
| Summer | Nutgrass, Clover |
Pests and diseases to watch
Lawn grubs are most active from spring into early summer, and armyworm in the warm months. On sandy soils, dry patches from water-repellent soil look very like grub damage, so lift a piece of turf before treating.
Watering and water rules
Water rules change. Check the current rules with your water authority before you plan watering or install irrigation. We link to the official pages rather than repeating rules that may be out of date.
Soils
- Water Corporation notes that WA's sands are often water-repellent, and that dry brown patches often mean uneven watering. (Water Corporation (Western Australia))
- WA's greywater code of practice requires untreated greywater from a diversion device to be used only through sub-surface irrigation. (Department of Health, Western Australia)
Cities
Questions from Western Australia
Guides
Who wrote this, and what it's based on
This page hasn't been reviewed by our technical reviewer yet [CONFIRM: reviewer]. Until it is, it isn't listed in search engines. How we write and review
Sources
- Climate classification maps, Bureau of MeteorologyClimate zones across Western Australia. Accessed 3 October 2026.
- Climate statistics for Australian locations: Perth Metro, Bureau of MeteorologyLong-term averages for Perth Metro. Accessed 5 October 2026.
- How much water does my garden need?, Water Corporation (Western Australia)10 mm twice a week in summer for Perth and the South West. Accessed 4 October 2026.
- Check your watering days, Water Corporation (Western Australia)Sprinkler roster and winter switch-off. Accessed 5 October 2026.
- Apply for a watering exemption, Water Corporation (Western Australia)New-lawn exemptions. Accessed 5 October 2026.
- Bring your brown lawn back to life, Water Corporation (Western Australia)Water-repellent sands. Accessed 4 October 2026.
- Turf varieties, Turf Growers Association of Western AustraliaSun, wear and mowing notes by grass type for WA. Accessed 3 October 2026.
- Code of practice for the reuse of greywater in Western Australia, Department of Health, Western AustraliaWA greywater code of practice. Accessed 5 October 2026.
- Household Hazardous Waste Program, Waste Authority Western AustraliaHousehold Hazardous Waste Program in WA. Accessed 5 October 2026.