Kikuyu has been an Aussie favourite for generations, and still dominates the market despite the proliferation of new Sydney turf supplies varieties now available. It’s tough, shade tolerant, keeps its colour and will stand up to a lot of wear. Take the time to keep it in line, and kikuyu grass is fantastic value for money.
Unique Features
There are several reasons that kikuyu has come to dominate the Aussie backyard-scape!
- Ultra-tough
- Not sensitive to changes in the seasons, good winter colour
- Drought resistant
- Chemical-resistant
Toughness: 5/5 for toughness
Kikuyu is fast recovering from just about anything you can throw at it. Kikuyu has a moderate chemical resistance level.
Sun and Shade: 2/5 for shade tolerance
Kikuyu will tolerate up to 10% shade coverage, but does best with absolute full sun.
Water Usage: 5/5 stars for water usage
Another of the reasons that kikuyu has become such an established fixture in the Australian landscape is its low water requirements – kikuyu gets 5 out of 5 stars for water usage!
Mowing: Cylinder or rotary
Kikuyu does well with either a cylinder or rotary mower, as long as the blades are sharpened frequently. Give it a little more length than other varieties – 40-50mm if grown in part shade.
Soil pH: 5.5 – 6.5
Maintenance: 3/5 for maintenance
If kikuyu is installed in an area where it is easy to contain (or it is not necessary to contain it), it is as easy to maintain as any other Sydney turf supplies variety. It does well with a fertiliser feed up to 3 times per year.
Should I Use Kikuyu?
Kikuyu works well in just about any garden situation, as long as you’re prepared to put in the time for maintenance. The only homes that should not use kikuyu are those that don’t have fences, or have poorly contained garden beds, as the kikuyu will quickly overtake any area it has free access to.
Kikuyu is a hardy lawn; it grows vigorously in the summer months therefore this variety of turf recovers well from wear and tear. Most suitable for large, high traffic areas. Kikuyu has best results in full sun and does not grow well in shaded or damp areas.
Kikuyu is an easy care, hard wearing turf with a medium texture and green colour. When well watered, fed and mown regularly it’s great for large areas, but it can become invasive and is therefore not suitable for small areas. It keeps its colour in the winter months (gets a little yellow tinge) but needs to be maintained in the summer months as it is a fast grower.
