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Waterfall News
WINTER DORMANCY
There is a Green Solution!
By Emile Bolton, STM Landscaping Project Manager at Waterfall
Waterfall Drive – Kikuyu grass in summer Waterfall Drive – Kikuyu grass in winter
W inter is here, and as • A cool, damp area, between a wall and
a hedge, that doesn’t grow much of
temperatures drop, those
anything except mosquitoes!
living in Waterfall will notice
that the turf will change
from green to brown (if it hasn’t already). • A southern exposure in the back that stays
cooler for much longer than the northern
This is referred to as dormancy. There is a front of the garden.
common misperception that the turf has • The eastern side, where the soil is
died. However, the warm season species unusually rich, the air is cool and dry, the
on Waterfall, such as Kikuyu, Cynodon sun is gentle, and the grass grows faster.
and Paspalum grasses, will become
dormant when temperatures consistently It is important to consider microclimates
dip below 14 degrees Celsius. This is when designing your garden. First,
due to the grass minimising metabolic determine your garden’s orientation and
activity, assisting it in conserving energy. discuss it with a horticulturist who can
Compare it to a bear in hibernation! advise on the correct selection of plants for
your garden. Larger areas like sports fields
WHY DO CERTAIN AREAS STAY and greenbelts are usually exposed to the
GREEN IN WINTER WHILE elements and you will find that these areas
OTHER AREAS GO DORMANT? Emile Bolton of STM Landscaping are the first areas to show signs of dormancy.
MICROCLIMATES OVERSEEDING – THE GREEN SOLUTION
Even a small garden has variances in air, light, During winter, the most frequent comment I receive is,
soil, and water, known as microclimates. “My grass looks sad and brown”. Let’s face it, Gauteng
can get pretty dull and brown in winter compared
Typical examples are: to the Western Cape, Southern Cape and KwaZulu-
• One corner that’s dry as a desert, full of ants and clay, Natal. Should you not want to look at a brown,
which you cannot break down even with the sharpest dormant lawn for four months in the year, there is a
tools. solution – overseeding with an annual Ryegrass.
8 Waterfall Issue 6 2022
