Kikuyu - Love it or Hate it?
Kikuyu Grass – Love it or hate it?
By Dominic Hooghuis - DVH Property Maintenance - www.dvh-maintenance.com
Kikuyu has been a popular choice for lawns in Australia for decades; it is native to a region of East Africa that is home to the Kĩkũyũ tribe.
Once established it is a fairly drought tolerant grass, it recovers and repairs well and is relatively easy to keep healthy and maintain. It can need mowing more frequently than other species of grass in summer, sometimes needing mowing on a weekly basis.
Kikuyu is used widely in playing fields and sports ovals due to it’s ability to recover and repair quickly from heavy wear and tear, but it is for the same reasons that Kikuyu can be incredibly invasive and can sometimes smother and kill other plants if it is not maintained properly. In some parts of Australia and over seas Kikuyu is listed as a noxious weed.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
Easy to keep healthy & green.
Great for high traffic areas e.g.: Kids and pets.
Drought tolerant once established.
Inexpensive to purchase.
Cons:
Invasive if not maintained properly.
Classed as a noxious weed in some states.
Can need mowing frequently in warmer months.