Kikuyu Grass has become a favourite in lawns throughout Australia. This grass variety is known for its rapid lush green growth and ability to stand up to wear and tear. Such proven qualities has resulted in Kikuyu Grass being a popular choice for parks, school grounds, and large residential properties.

In order to ensure that Kikuyu Grass will thrive in your particular environment, it’s important to

learn about this grass variety and what steps you can take to get the best results.

Being in the Turf business for more than 45 years, here at Hi Quality Turf we’ve become experts on all matters Turf related. We’ve seen what works and what doesn’t, and have composed this handy guide to help you avoid some common mistakes to avoid when choosing Kikuyu Grass.

Avoid Planting in Shady Areas

Kikuyu Grass is a hardy grass variety with the ability to spread quickly and put up with the wear and tear from children and pets. However in order to get the best results, it’s important that you factor in the current and future sun exposure in your yard.

Kikuyu Grass puts down deep roots and thrives in hot weather, although it can tolerate some shade, it is generally not a shade loving grass, and under prolonged unfavourable conditions can become patchy and eventually die off.

As such to ensure best results, it’s vital that you choose an area that has a healthy amount of sun exposure. If planting in a newly planted garden, remember to factor in any shade to be created by other growing surrounding plants.

Avoid Planting Close to Garden Beds

Kikuyu Grass lays down an extensive root system and has a vigorous growth pattern, making it a popular choice for a range of environments such as parks, school grounds, and large residential properties.

Having origins as a pasture grass for cattle and other livestock, it can be an invasive grass, not wanting to stay put in its designated area.

As such it’s important that you leave an adequate space between your lawn and any adjacent garden beds to give each plant species enough space to grow. Otherwise the lawn and surrounding plants such as low growing shrubs can become interlocked and compete for the same resources.

Ensure Proper Ground Preparation

Despite being a hardy drought resistant grass, it’s still recommended that you undertake proper ground preparation before laying down your Kikuyu Grass. Ensure that you spray the ground, remove any prior vegetation, add high quality soil mix, and level the ground.

This will help to ensure your Kikuyu Grass has an ideal environment to establish a base and lay down a healthy root system.

If you’re after further details on proper ground preparation, you can check out our expert tips right here.

Don’t Forget To Fertilise

In order to remain strong and healthy, Kikuyu Grass greatly benefits from a slow release fertiliser with high levels of nitrogen. It’s recommended this is initially applied 2-3 months after the initial laying of the turf, anything before this will have minimal impact to the establishment of the lawn.

Following the initial application, the ideal time to apply fertiliser is in early spring and after that in early autumn, which will help to promote a healthy green look throughout the year.

Factor In Your Desired Level of Lawn Maintenance

When choosing Kikuyu Grass it’s important to factor in its ongoing maintenance needs. Because it grows so quickly, it will need to be mowed on a regular basis in order to keep the lawn looking its best and within its boundaries.

Regular maintenance is not hard, but it will require more frequent mowing when compared to some other grass varieties. This durable grass can be cut very short when mowed, which will help to increase the time between mowing’s.

Kikuyu Grass is a tough, dense grass variety, with rapid lush green growth that is perfectly suited to Australian conditions. Because of how quickly Kikuyu grass can spread, it’s important that you perform adequate planning and preparation to ensure a great looking turf all year round.

When choosing where to plant; ensure you undertake proper ground preparation, don’t plant in shady areas, and leave adequate space for growth by avoiding planting close to garden beds.

For ongoing maintenance don’t forget to apply a slow release fertilizer twice a year, and mow your lawn regularly to ensure it remains looking its best and grows within its boundaries.

Here at High Quality Turf, having been in the industry for over 45 years we take great pride in providing a high level of professional customer service. From seedling to ongoing lawn maintenance we can take care of all your needs.

If you have any questions on Kikuyu Grass or any other grass varieties, we’re more than happy to answer any of your queries. We have our very own turf farm where you can check out our in-house turf display, and we even provide free follow up advice on any lawn purchased from us.

For any of your turf needs, why not contact us today.