Supporting Research-Led Landscapes
Supporting Research-Led Landscapes
TerraCottem in the UWA LAWN Project
At StrataGreen, we are proud to support projects that advance knowledge around sustainable landscape design and performance. Recently, we were involved in a research initiative led by Dr Maria Ignatieva, Professor of Landscape Architecture at The University of Western Australia, as part of the LAWN Project: Lawn as an ecological and cultural phenomenon in Perth: searching for sustainable solutions in times of drying climates.
The project explores alternatives to traditional lawn systems and investigates how soil treatments, water availability, and planting strategies influence long-term plant health, resilience, and maintenance requirements.
As part of this research, TerraCottem was incorporated into selected trial plots to assess its impact on growth, root development, and establishment under varying site conditions.
Trial Location: Como – Collier Park Golf Course
Several test patches were established at Collier Park Golf Course in Como, allowing side-by-side comparison between planting with and without TerraCottem.
Lawn Patch Trials
Two lawn areas were planted under comparable conditions, with one patch incorporating TerraCottem into the soil at planting and the other left untreated.
Visually, the difference was clear. The TerraCottem-treated lawn grew longer, denser, and noticeably greener than the untreated patch. When soil samples were taken, the contrast became even more evident:
- The TerraCottem patch showed deeper, more established root systems, extending well beyond surface level.
- The untreated patch displayed shallow root development, with roots concentrated within only a few centimetres of the surface.
This deeper rooting suggests improved access to moisture and nutrients, supporting healthier and more resilient turf growth.
In-Ground Lawn Sample Comparison
The image shows two lawn samples taken directly from the trial site.
Samples grown with TerraCottem (left) demonstrate deep, well-established root systems that extend well below the surface. These roots actively bind the surrounding soil, creating a stronger soil structure and improving moisture retention around the plant.
Samples grown without TerraCottem (right) show shallow, surface-level roots, extending only a few centimetres into the soil. As a result, the root system was unable to hold the soil together beneath the surface, making the lawn more vulnerable to moisture stress and surface drying.
This side-by-side comparison highlights how TerraCottem supports deeper root development, leading to improved plant stability, better access to water, and stronger long-term establishment — particularly in challenging or drier conditions.
Native Planting Trial
A second trial compared two native planting sites — one planted with TerraCottem and one without.
At first glance, the untreated site appeared taller and more established. However, further investigation revealed this site had greater access to a water source, which influenced above-ground growth.
When comparing the two sites more closely:
- The TerraCottem site showed significantly less weed establishment.
- Despite receiving less water and being planted into drier soil, plants treated with TerraCottem demonstrated strong overall health.
Excavated plant samples revealed a key difference below the surface:
- Plants grown with TerraCottem developed larger, more extensive root systems.
- Plants without TerraCottem had shorter, sparser roots, despite taller above-ground growth.
The findings suggest that with equivalent watering, the TerraCottem-treated plants would likely outperform the untreated site long-term — highlighting TerraCottem’s ability to support establishment in drier, more challenging conditions.
Native Plant Comparison
This side-by-side comparison highlights the difference in root development between plantings with and without TerraCottem. The plant grown without TerraCottem has a noticeably smaller and more limited root system, with fewer roots extending into the surrounding soil. In contrast, the TerraCottem-treated plant has developed a dense network of fine roots that spread widely through the soil, creating a stronger, more extensive root system. This increased root mass improves soil contact, moisture uptake, and overall plant stability, supporting better long-term establishment.
Split-PlotTrial
A third test involved a single planting area split in half — one side treated with TerraCottem and the other untreated.
On the surface, both sides appeared similar. However, soil sampling showed that the TerraCottem-treated side had deeper root penetration and more consistent
root development, reinforcing the importance of looking beyond visual growth when assessing plant performance.
Research Conclusion
Based on observations across all trial sites, Dr Ignatieva concluded that incorporating TerraCottem delivers clear benefits, particularly when early establishment and strong root development are priorities.
While above-ground growth can sometimes appear similar in the short term, the research highlighted that root development, moisture access, and long-term resilience are significantly improved when TerraCottem is used at planting.
These findings support TerraCottem as a valuable tool for:
- Faster establishment
- Improved root structure
- Better performance under reduced or inconsistent watering
- More resilient landscapes over time
Research-BackedSolutions for Real-World Projects
We’re proud to have supplied TerraCottem as part of this important research, contributing to a better understanding of how soil conditioning can improve landscape performance in Australian conditions.
Projects like the UWA LAWN Project demonstrate the value of evidence-based approaches — and reinforce why investing in soil health from the outset is critical for sustainable landscapes.