Everything You Need To Know About Kikuyu Grass
What is Kikuyu grass?
If you’re looking for a lawn in Western Australia, you can’t go wrong with Kikuyu grass. It’s a low maintenance, highly economical all-rounder used in schools, sports facilities, parks and homes all over Perth! Kikuyu grass is highly wear-tolerant thanks to its large prostrate runners and vigorous rhizomes. This means it makes for a quick repair when the lawn is damaged – perhaps by dogs or hyperactive children!
Kikuyu is also extremely drought tolerant, having been originally sourced in East Africa. Its excellent growth rate and strong, deep root base make it a prolific spreader. One downside to Kikuyu grass is that it doesn’t love low-light conditions. Kikuyu needs about 5-6 hours of sunlight per day, so bear that in mind if you have a particularly shady yard.
What Soil is Best for Kikuyu grass?
Like most lawns, you should prep your soil area with yellow builders sand before laying the turf. A light or medium-textured soil with medium drainage and salinity will help your Kikuyu grass keep to its ideal soil pH of 5.5-7.0.
How fast does Kikuyu grow?
Kikuyu grass is a pretty fast growing lawn. It can be established in as little as 2-3 weeks because it will actively seek soil moisture once incorporated into your yard. Keep an eye out, though – Kikuyu is highly invasive and an aggressive grower, so although it’s a top choice for your home lawn it can easily get out of hand. Keep your lawn area well-fenced if possible, and don’t forget to trim the lawn edges regularly to keep the grass contained.
How do you maintain Kikuyu grass?
Kikuyu is drought tolerant and doesn’t want too much water, which makes it pretty low-maintenance. You should only water when there are signs that the grass is drying out – for example, if you see wilting blades. Only water in the early morning to promote optimum plant health, and avoid watering at all in wet winters.
You should mow Kikuyu grass weekly in warmer months, but never more than ⅓ of the blade at a time. Too short and the plant will not be able to absorb valuable sunlight!When it comes to weeding, you can get away with most standard lawn weed killers – however, you should not use Winter Grass herbicides on Kikuyu. Always read the label on your product to make sure it’s suitable for your specific lawn variety. And while Kikuyu doesn’t necessarily need fertiliser, applying a slow-release nitrogen-based option two or three times per year can improve it.
Where can I buy Kikuyu grass?
At Joondalup Turf Farm, of course! We offer Kikuyu grass, soft Buffalo grass and Wintergreen grass – cut fresh and loaded while you watch at our turf farm just south of Wanneroo.
