Because it forms quite dense mats Kikuyu grass does offer some limited protection against weed infestation. Its fast growth rates may mean slightly higher mowing and maintenance requirements than some other varieties. Allowing the soil to dry out will stop germination and may fry the seedlings. Your email address will not be published. Couch and Kikuyu stolons are the most popular runners. However, apart from these numerous advantages, kikuyu grass does present several disadvantages: Note: in some places, Kikuyu is invasive. Moreover, in many mild and cool climates, temperatures are never hot enough to trigger blooming. It spreads by both runners and by seed. Germination of the kikuyu grass seeds should occur in just under two weeks (10 to 14 days). This works because grass multiplies through above-ground runners, known as stolons, or below-ground runners known as rhizomes. Share your garden joys & woes! Michellon R, Seguy L, Perret S, 1996. Mow the Kikuyu when it is 5cm tall, this will encourage the plant to send out runners.. Meredith D, 1955. Credits for images shared to Nature & Garden (all edits by Gaspard Lorthiois): Calculating the amount of turf you need is easier than you may think. To get the best results some ground preparation may be necessary before you lay your turf. Be very wary about using glyphosate (Roundup) and if you do you might want to apply it to the weeds only using a brush. Foliage – evergreen The Grasses and Pastures of South Africa. It is bright green with creeping rhizomes and leafy runners, which root from the nodes and form a dense mat of grass. Decided may not get it all by weeding it manually, so sprayed the area with RoundUp, then waited two weeks to ensure all dead, dug out the patch and filled with new top soil and planted runners of local couch and kept watering everyday for ten days. The Mower Method. Kikuyu grass Installation & Maintenance. A home-made “tea” that contains a lot of nitrogen is. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Kikuyu is a very hardy grass species and is usually much more pest resistant than many other varieties. If you nip across to the farmer’s paddock and rip up a few kikuyu rhizomes and plant them in your backyard you might have a lawn by the time you retire but it is a very lengthy process with rather uncertain results. In fact, few other grass types can compete with Kikuyu’s amazing ability to recolonize and regreen damaged lawn. Even though it rarely produces flowers and seeds, kikuyu grows very quickly through rhizome (or root) propagation. True Blue Turf offers a plug planting service for areas over 1,000m2. For kids and pets which slip and slide all over your lawn, Kikuyu grass is one of the toughest varieties to cope with high activity in your backyard. It’s these same qualities that brought Kikuyu grass to Australia back in the 1920’s as a pasture grass for cattle and other livestock. Plant your runners about 5cm apart, eased just below ground level. Morphology. It’s this vigorous growth that makes Kikuyu a popular choice for community parks and school grounds as well as residential properties. Nutrient analysis shows that kikuyu is more nutritious than alfalfa. Required fields are marked *. Although hardy, we recommend preparing the area with yellow builders’ sand to give your new lawn the best chance at survival. Exposure – full sun, Soil – ordinary With a low, low price of $7.15 per m2 your new Kikuyu lawn won’t break the budget. The damage these types of beetle and larvae infestations can cause is frequently compounded by the large numbers of birds that gather to dig up your turf and feed on the larvae. That being said kikuyu does tolerate a certain amount of shade and usually retains good winter colour. “We have used and recommended Atlas Turf for the last few years and have been extremely satisfied. Kikuyu is a hard-wearing, broad leaf grass with vigorous runners. Interest in it was spurred by the fact that it is well-suited to golf terrains, especially the wide spans of rough. Invasion can occur a number of different ways: Heavy weight kikuyu-look and feelMultiple uses / For patios, swimming pool, landscaping, indoor useBeautiful for events, parties, shows, display windows, showroom floorsBest priced heavy weight long grass in South Africa! Your email address will not be published. Buffalo offers exceptional shade tolerance but Kikuyu may still be a good option even in the shade. There are herbicides that are specific to particular weed species but you will need to check the instructions on the label and apply very carefully. Extremely easy to care for and with quick growth and spread, this turf plant is perfect to replace grass in a lawn or dress a bare patch up. In spring, sow in much the same manner you would any type of grass used for traditional lawns. The easiest way to deal with grass runners is to mow your lawn quite short every year or two. Do this in April or May (spring), just as for the sowing. Select a cutting from the plant by digging out a portion of the rhizome and settle it in at the desired location. For farms and homesteads, kikuyu is a great grass for grazing animals, since it grows back quickly and copes well with trodding. Kikuyu germinates best when soil temperatures are above 21°C. View Gumtree Free Online Classified Ads for buffalo grass runners and more in Western Cape. Runners: Kikuyu is a very invasive grass. Close-up of kikuyu grass by Harry Rose ★ under © CC BY 2.0 Extremely easy to care for and with quick growth and spread, this plant is perfect for gardens located in areas where the climate is rather hot in summer and mild in winter. It will sprout roots and spread from there. Our step-by-step guide will show you how. Once established, Kikuyu is a vigorous grower and will replace the companion grass. Kikuyu grass withstands drought, significant foot traffic and partial shade--and, once established, it doesn’t require much attention. As a result, sometimes the plant’s origin is said to be Uganda – right in the middle of Congo and Kenya! Care and maintenance: full sun; fertilise in spring with a slow release fertiliser Sometimes it even spreads so fast, it has become invasive! Kikuyu grass doesn’t cope well with mowing too often or too short. Broadleaf sprays control clover, bindi and broadleaf weeds. Family – Poaceae, Type – grass While seeding is planting grass seed and sodding is laying out a carpet of grass, sprigging is planting grass runners to grow a new lawn. You should not plant it. Check with your local agriculture office first. Atlas Turf has been supplying premium quality Kikuyu instant turf for many years and in that time we’ve established an unequalled reputation for quality. Although Kikuyu grass can be adapted to a wide range of soil types, it grows best in a fertile, moderately drained sort, for example, red basalt or an alluvial, moist sandy soil. If you fertilize your whole lawn, you’ll simply end up with much more mowing to do! A local botanist grew the plant to identify it. Kikuyu will smother any other weed that might grow on a lawn, like clover for instance. Lawn grubs or army worms can cause considerable damage to lawns especially during the warmer months. If grass growth is too rampant for your mowing programme to keep up with then you may need to fertilise less frequently. Visit our website today! Hi Andrew, thanks to you I was able to double-check and learn more about where Kikuyu grass “is native” from. Kikuyu will reward you with strong lush grass but it does like regular watering and fertiliser applications. Kikuyu grass is a very fast growing grass and our instant turf varieties are certified for purity and quality to ensure you get the best results in the shortest amount of time. Mears P, 1970. Even a small amount of glyphosate spray drift will kill Kikuyu. It is best to spray the existing grass with a non-selective weed killer. Watering Grass. Note that you might confuse this grass with St Augustine (which you’ll find under the name Stenotaphrum secundatum in horticulture stores). Sun vs Shade Full sun and some shade: Weed Control: Hand picking any weeds by their roots, is ideal. Growth is slow at the start, but kikuyu grass quickly speeds up after that. Need advice? Kikuyu’s extensive root system can also help to control erosion on steep banks. Cape Town, South Africa: Central News Agency. This may include spraying, rotary hoeing, and leveling. Prostrate growth. Kerrie and Neale grow exceptionally good quality grass of various varieties, that meet both our high standards as well as meeting our customers needs. Kikuyu grass can be grown from runners and seed but we don’t recommend this. Planting kikuyu runners is very easy and all you need to do is layer a grass node into a nursery pot. It is a warm-season grass, which means it resembles runners that can quickly grow and cover the ground (literally!). As it is slow to establish, Hortico have blended it with a companion grass for fast establishment. Mowing isn’t actually needed. Australian strands of the grass, however, were originally sourced from the Belgian Congo in 1908 (present-day Congo). St Augustine grass is thinner-leaved and doesn’t resist drought or foot traffic well. Sometimes the ideal choice of grass variety for your needs is not so clear-cut. It doesn’t need much watering, and copes well with dry air, which made it ideal for California at the time. Kikuyu grass is native to Kenya, not Uganda. It really needs full sun to prosper. If you’re looking at new grass or looking to change suppliers, we would have no hesitation in recommending Atlas Turf.”, “…The turf was delivered and the delivery gentleman from Atlas even informed us, by eye that we had ordered too little turf, and recommended an amount we needed, and was spot on. The rampant growth of some of those early varieties of Kikuyu has created infestation problems in some areas but the modern lawn varieties are generally sterile so they cannot spread via seed into unwanted areas. It’s a favorite for golf courses and pastures and is useful for controlling erosion, as its strong roots and runners hold the soil in place. The Kikuyu variety of lawn grown by Austurf has vigorous growth. Only fertilize spots that need support. You can also direct the runners to maximize coverage since secondary runners will appear and make the plot denser. Because Kikuyu is not a huge fan of shade your lawn will thank you if you cut back or prune any plants and shrubs that are shading your lawn. Due to its tolerant nature you can cut Kikuyu grass to very low levels but avoid doing this in very hot weather when the soil may become exposed and dry out too quickly or during cold winter months when grass growth has slowed significantly. Reducing your watering regime will also help but keep an eye open during the hot months for browning. Any nitrogen-rich fertilizer is perfect for this. Thanks again.”. Note that if left untouched, kikuyu grass will grow into a thick mat several inches thick (4 to 6 inches or about 10 to 15 cm). We also offer prompt delivery 6 days a week so your new Kikuyu instant lawn is only a phone call away. Grass runners are one of the ways that grass spreads and continues it’s growing. It is native to tropical Africa and was first introduced in California in the 1930's as an erosion control grass for ditchbanks and slopes. Soils with good structure and drainage will produce better results too. How do you choose between the shade-tolerant buffalo grass brands?There’s plenty of conflicting information around, and it can be hard to know what’s important and accurate. Is it wise to use kraal manure or chicken manure to fertilize Kikuyu lawn? It will spread across the entire surface if not controlled. One…, Augustine Addanes wrote on 24 September 2020 at 13 h 05 min, Terry Brown wrote on 29 April 2020 at 0 h 39 min, Andrew wrote on 5 March 2020 at 8 h 32 min, Gaspard wrote on 5 March 2020 at 12 h 51 min, Leon wrote on 3 September 2019 at 1 h 03 min, Gaspard Lorthiois wrote on 3 September 2019 at 13 h 34 min, Ashley Turns wrote on 19 April 2018 at 2 h 46 min, Imperata cylindrica ‘Red Baron’, stunning red shoots of flame-like grass, Manual lawn mowers and robots, convenient for smaller surfaces. This variety tends to spread by its vigorous growth from stolons and rhizomes. Botanists tend to mostly cite the place they found the plant as the native range, so accounts differ depending on the source. Planting plugs or stolons/runners is best done in the https://www.nature-and-garden.com/gardening/kikuyu-grass.html My lawn has been taken over over the years by kikuyu grass, but I have noticed that clover and burr clover have no problem thriving in patches in it. Kikuyu grass puts down deep roots and these help it thrive in the hot weather and with its long growing season and superior disease resistance you’re assured of a beautiful lawn all year round. Used for decades in Mediterranean regions in places where foot traffic was high, this grass native to tropical areas is slowly gaining popularity. The “Kikuyu” people, a prominent tribe that excelled in agriculture and had deep knowledge of nature, inspired the name for the plant. Kikuyu and couch are the number one suspects when it comes to lawn invasion, they are fast growing and have fine seeds that can spread very easily. Kikuyu is the most difficult lawn seed to establish. Once the turf has been laid you should water it and keep it moist for 14 days. Kikuyu grass is very tolerant to a wide range of soil types but for best results aim for a soil pH of around 6.5. Kikuyu grass can be grown from runners and seed but we don’t recommend this. And using broadleaf herbicide on the clover also kills the kikuyu grass…. Take note, though, that you’ll need to live in a region where the climate is mild in winter. Attention! Kikuyu grass lawn by Harry Rose ★ under © CC BY 2.0. Due to its high ability to self-repair Eureka Kikuyu is an aggressive grass and the runners will make their way underground and subsequently into garden beds and under paths if not kept under control. The underground runners of creeping grasses can be very persistent so you can’t simply dig it out. Kikuyu grass is very easy to propagate through cuttings or simply by transplanting it. You can expect a perfect performance with a pH from 5.5 to 7.0. So thanks for mentioning that Kikuyu grass is very easy to care for and grows quickly. Thank you to the Great Service and Advice I received from all the staff at Atlas Turf.”, “Just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know how happy we are with our Lawn, right from the start you were fantastic recommending the best lawn for me since I have always lived in a unit it was all a bit confusing. Plugs are chopped sections of instant roll on grass. Whether you've seeded, laid turf or put in runners, one critical factor applies to all three methods. This characteristic helps control its invasiveness a bit. A seriously neglected kikuyu lawn can transform into a jungle of runners. The turf runners grow under the ground as well as on the top of the ground. A lush summer perennial, Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron' really makes a stand against other grasses with the intriguing shape and…, With its "Ergoflex" handle system, Bosch brings decisive added value to its Rotak lawn mowers. The African Black beetle and Argentinean Scarab can also wreak serious havoc from December through January. In any case, space mowing far apart in time. This style of lawn is not shade tolerant and requires full sun. It will grow well in any type of soil. Kikuyu is more aggressive in nature than any other lawn variety so it’s potential to take over is very high. Kikuyu grass is 25mm in thickness on the roll and is supplied shredded or in runners. Kikuyugrass is a vigorous, warm season grass that spreads by rhizomes and runners. Animals can walk all over it with their heavy hooves and it will bounce back quickly. Suited to very fertile, well-drained soils. A healthy Kikuyu lawn will generally require mowing once every 5 to 7 days during times of good growing conditions. For the best Kikuyu grass prices, visit Evergreen Turf! Stolons/runners being propagated from selected strains are true- to-type and are weed free. Atlas Turf has been supplying top quality instant Kikuyu turf for more than 30 years throughout the Sydney, South Coast, Central Coast and Hunter Valley regions of NSW. Do you fertilise kikuyu and what fertiliser do you use thanks leon. It’s better to respond quickly to early signs of damage rather than delay until the problem is really obvious. Regular Lawn Maintenance. Kikuyu lawn, a runner grass which is vigorous and easy to grow. But even in this scenario you can recover the neat kikuyu mat type lawn with regular mowing. However if you haven’t mown the grass for over a year and level of thatch is very high, you will need to gradually lower the lawn height over several lawn mowings. This creeping perennial has stolons and rhizomes with above and below ground runners. Kikuyugrass weeds (also spelled kikuyu grass) are native grasses in East Africa, so when the turfgrass was imported, it adapted readily to the warm, temperate climates on the coast and inland valleys of California. 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