Kikuyu Lawn Growing Too Fast

Q

I have Kikuyu growing as a lawn in my backyard, I like the grass, it's soft for the kids to play on, it stays green and I don't seem to be able to cause any damage to it. But it grows so fast that it becomes unusable very quickly, is there anything I can do.

A

Kikuyu is a lawn type which does indeed grow very fast and can get very long leaf very quickly. We can try and reduce the growth rate with environmental factors, but overall it must be remembered that this rapid growth and long leaf is normal to Kikuyu.

Excessive shade can promote longer leaf in all lawn types as the lawn struggles to promote more green leaf to gain more photosynthesis under low light levels. Try pruning any surrounding trees and allowing more direct sunlight onto the lawn as possible. This should aid in slowing some of the longer leaf growth.

If you fertilise the lawn regularly, then try changing this fertilising regimen to include less fertiliser applied less frequently, to help decrease any rapid growth.

Check your watering times, and reduce both the frequency and amount of water being applied. Try and experiment a little and reduce watering by 20% and monitor the lawn health over the next couple of weeks, keep experimenting to reduce water while still maintaining a healthy lawn.

Lawn mowing is something which cannot be skimped on with Kikuyu, it really does need to be mowed regularly, this may often be weekly during the growing season. Unfortunately, this is the nature of Kikuyu and must be maintained.

If after trying all these tips, you still find you're struggling with the growth rate of the Kikuyu lawn, then it may be necessary to consider changing the lawn to a different lawn type.