Free Metro Shipping, orders over $75
Australian Owned
Kikuyu Grass Seed Blend
Kikuyu is a warm season grass that is hardy, self repairing and drought tolerant. It has a soft, bright green leaf and when mowed regularly makes a beautiful lawn that requires minimal lawn care to remain healthy.
Kikuyu seed is quick to propagate and grows rapidly. Kikuyu has always been the number one choice for any lawn areas which are expected to be under high traffic conditions, including trampling by cattle and vehicles, as this grass repairs itself quicker than almost any other grass.
As Kikuyu is a warm season grass the active growing phase is during the warmer months in Spring and Summer. Kikuyu becomes dormant in Winter, however unlike most Kikuyu varieties, our seed will not go yellow after one frost in the winter. It will eventually go yellow after multiple frosts, however it has been shown to be resistant to colder weather in the winter. Kikuyu will return to its green color when the warmer weather returns.
In this blend, the large percentage of Annual Ryegrass provides a safety bed to protect and nurture the growth of Kikuyu. The Annual Ryegrass will eventually die off after 12 months (usually due to warmer weather) allowing the Kikuyu’s aggressive runners to take over and fill out the other areas leaving you with a pure Kikuyu lawn.
Seeding rates:
Please note: Seeding rate for the Kikuyu Grass Seed Blend is higher than that of the Kikuyu Grass Seed
- New Lawns: 30 grams per square meter (3kg/100m2).
- Overseeding: 10 grams per square meter (1kg/100m2).
Please note: Seed may be coated for protection and to enhance germination. Batches may vary.
Please note: There are currently quarantine restrictions for seeds being sent to TAS and WA.
Tasmanian customers: When placing an online order, please document ‘ATT: TAS Biosecurity’ in the ‘Company’ section above the address line to enable faster processing of your seed through quarantine.
WA customers: Quarantine fees apply for seed inspection. Please contact McKays Seeds through the Contact Us link or via phone to discuss your options.
For more information see below tabs ‘Description’ and ‘Features’ to see if this grass suits you!
Description
The Annual Ryegrass in this blend can assist in weed control while you wait for the Kikuyu to fully establish. It is fast growing and protective of the Kikuyu, while also offering the benefit of erosion control.
Kikuyu is a runner variety of grass that can spread rapidly via its Rhizomes and Stolons. It may appear that the leaves of the grass are attached to a thick cord, which is more visible than the cords of other warm season runner variety grasses.
Optimal pH: Kikuyu performs best in soils with moderate acidity (pH 5.5-7.0), but tolerates a pH as low as 4.5
Sowing Tips: Kikuyu prefers fertile, moderately drained, light to medium textured soils. Broadcast the seed at, or very near, the soil surface and incorporate lightly with raking. To ensure best coverage and avoid seed wastage we recommend using an appropriate seed spreader for the size of your area.
Optimal Planting Time: The best time for sowing Kikuyu Grass Seed Blend is Spring and Autumn.
For cooler areas of Australia allow enough time after sowing for Kikuyu seedlings to establish to enable them to withstand the first cold days of Winter and frost. A guide for this is approximately 6 weeks post germination.
Grows best between 15 and 25oC but will tolerate up to 40o C. Growth ceases when exposed to regular heavy frosts.
Germination: Within 10–21 days fine Kikuyu hairs should appear, however this is condition and climate dependent. As long as the temperature is within the optimum temperatures of 18-29°C you can expect germination.
Water: With the seed so close to the surface, it should be watered quite frequently with light water applications to maintain soil moisture consistently until germination is complete. This will keep the seedlings from drying out as they sprout. Once established it tolerates lower watering however due to the Ryegrass in this blend, the Kikuyu Blend requires more water than the Kikuyu Grass Seed. It can tolerate some waterlogging as well as moderate salinity levels.
Fertilising: Kikuyu is particularly demanding for Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P). The McKays Slow Release Fertiliser is the perfect fertiliser for the needs of Kikuyu. This can also be used in combination with the seed when sowing.
First Mowing: First mowing should occur when the Ryegrass is 7cm tall or greater. Care will need to be taken of the underlying Kikuyu. First mowing of Kikuyu is ideal when the Kikuyu runners have taken root.
Mowing Frequency: Kikuyu should be kept to around 5cm in height to reduce thatching of the grass. It is one of the fastest growing warm season grasses and will have increased mowing requirements through the active growth phase in the warmer months. During dormancy in the winter months the growth of Kikuyu will slow significantly and reduce the mowing requirements.
Disadvantages of Kikuyu Blend
- Requires more water than the Kikuyu Grass Seed
- Pasture dominated by Kikuyu is unsuitable for horses to graze
- More mowing requirement than some other warm season varieties
- Can be susceptible to diseases such as Kikuyu Yellows
- Easily spreads into other vegetation and areas where it is not required to grow, grass clippings should not be used in compost as this can cause seeds collected via mowing to germinate
Seed & package details: 70% Annual, 20% Kikuyu, 10% Slow Release Fertiliser.
Independently Tested: 85% Min Germination, 98% purity. A seed testing certificate is available upon request.
Ideal Usage: Acreages, Paddocks, Residential Lawns, Sporting Fields, Fairways, Airports, Caravan Parks.
Where can I sow this grass in Australia? Areas 4, 5, 6, 8, 9
Please Note: While Kikuyu can be sown Australia wide, the large proportion of Annual Ryegrass in this blend limits this to the cooler climates of Australia.
**Please note this product can not currently be sent to WA due to quarantine restrictions**
Shade tolerance: Fine
Daily Sunlight Required: 6+ hours
Drought tolerance: Excellent
Frost Resistance: Fine
Traffic Tolerance: Excellent
Locations
Season
Warm season grasses thrive during the warmer months in Spring and Summer and may go dormant in cooler climates through winter.
Cool season grasses thrive during the cooler months in Winter
Seed information
Shade tolerance (Weather)
- Full Sun
- Part Shade
- Heavy Shade
- Full Shade
Drought tolerance (Weather)
- Moderate
- Good
- Excellent
Traffic tolerance (Weather)
- Moderate
- Good
- Excellent
Frost tolerance
- Poor
- Moderate
- Good
- Excellent
Average days to germination
- 2-3 Weeks
- 2-4 Weeks
- 3-4 Weeks
Free Metro Shipping On All Orders Over $75
We provide free standard delivery shipping for all orders to "metro" zones, where the total cart value exceeds $75.00.
Otherwise, to metro zones it's a flat rate of $9 (for orders under $75).
Non-Metro Zones
Standard Delivery
Australia Wide (except Western Australia), at cost from Australia Post.
Orders are dispatched within 24 hours via regular Australia Post (3-5 business days).
Express Post
In a hurry? Express shipping is available at checkout for both Metro and Non-Metro Zones. Priced according to shipment weight.
WA Customers
Due to quarantine restrictions, we have a different product range available for Western Australia.
If you are shopping for delivery to WA, please view our WA site here
Pick-up Not Available
Sorry, we are not able to offer local pick-up.
International
Unfortunately we are not able to ship internationally.
good for noobs (my first time oversowing). i used good quality top soil, with the mckays slow release fertiliser, and a bunnings seed spreader. sprouts for the ryegrass was seen at around day 7. After that, growth rate has gone nuclear. It's been 2 weeks and the lawn is looking very filled in. just some bare spots due to less water reaching those areas and possibly less seedlings. I watered 3x a day, 20 mins each. I was a little skeptical in the recommended low oversowing rate. The mckays team reassured me that it was ok, and even warned not to go overboard. But with almost bare patches on my lawn, i put in a little extra which has given me a very pleasing result. i dont think the kikuyu has germinated yet so i hope the seeds will blossom just as strong. before pics was after i did the prep work. hand removed most weeds (lawn was more weeds than grass), low cut on mower, and a light de-thatch with a rake. after pics is day 14.
Excellent Quality & Quick Germination
Thought I did everything right - top dressed lawn first, sowed seed and kept up the water. Some bare patches OK but others virtually no seeds germinated.
I bought this product to fill in grassless areas on the lawn and it was very good what did grow. Nut the birds loved it and ate a lot of it so I had to buy another lot. For days I ignored my house work and sat on my back patio with my cat and the birds were not able to gobble up my lawn seed. Now I have a lovely green lawn with no grassless ares left and I am so happy with it. Thank you so much Mckays for my nice lawn now. It does not take very long for the green shoots to appear and in no time your lawn is looking lovely and green with no bare patches
Don’t waste your money with this seed cuz you will see no germination despite following the right process! Also, the company hoodwinked me in sending the seed in a poorly concealed polytene bag as opposed to the fancy packaging advertised on their website. I hope they will verify the seed batch that was sent to me and also offer me an explanation re their very unprofessional packaging!?
Unfortunately I am unable to review at this time as have only just seen the seed and is yet to germinate -will add further comment once we have something to review .. regards
Great product
Fast delivery
