Visitors to Bill Shaw Reserve in Lesmurdie may have noticed some activity in the reserve recently. The City of Kalamunda is currently undertaking turf renewal works to improve the quality, sustainability, and long-term health of the park's open grassed areas.
Works include:
- Installation of a new irrigation (reticulation) system to provide more efficient watering.
- Delivery and incorporation of compost to improve soil quality and support healthy turf establishment.
- Spreading of kikuyu stolons across prepared areas to create a resilient turf surface.
What happens next?
Kikuyu grass establishes by spreading runners, known as stolons, which grow across the soil surface and gradually knit together to form a dense turf cover. As Perth enters its prime growing season, warm temperatures and regular irrigation will help accelerate growth.
Under favourable conditions, residents can expect:
- 4-6 weeks: Grass runners begin actively spreading and establishing.
- 8-12 weeks: Approximately 70-90% ground cover achieved.
- December: Visually acceptable grass coverage expected.
- January-February: Strong functional turf cover established.
- Late Summer: Full, dense turf coverage anticipated, provided irrigation and growing conditions remain favourable.
Please Help Us Protect the New Turf
The success of the project relies on allowing the young grass time to establish. During the growing period, we kindly ask park users to:
- Avoid walking on newly planted areas where possible.
- Keep bikes, scooters and other activities off establishing turf.
- Follow any temporary signage and barriers in place.
Your patience and cooperation during this establishment period will help ensure a healthy, green reserve that can be enjoyed by the whole community for years to come.
