Munns - Emerald Kikuyu
Scientific Name: Pennisetum Clandestinum.
Species Common Name: Emerald Kikuyu.
Origin: Munns has released the first turf-type seeded Kikuyu grass grown and bred in Emerald Queensland (Australia).
General Information: Emerald Kikuyu is a turf type Kikuyu that has a darker green colour and finer leaf texture than vegetative Kikuyu & other seeded varieties. Emerald Kikuyu is more cold tolerant than other warm season grasses and retains its green colour better. It also withstands heat and drought well and is not susceptible to many of the common turf pests or diseases. It has good tolerance of wear and quickly recovers from injury. Its fine dense habit means it provides an excellent turf for the home gardener.
Characteristics:
- Less invasive than other seeded varieties;
- Resistant to “Kikuyu yellows”;
- Establishes and covers quickly;
- Can handle extreme temperatures, wear, shade and is extremely drought tolerant;
- Year round green with a fine dense leaf; and is
- Pest and disease resistant.
Details:
- Australian: First turf-type Australian bred seeded Kikuyu grass.
- Spread: Less invasive than other varieties.
- Temperature/Drought: Handles tough temperature, wear, part shade and drought conditions. Emerald Kikuyu has excellent tolerance for sustained periods of drought, even on sandy soils. This is a warm season grass that grows best over summer when temperatures are in the range 15 – 40°C. Emerald Kikuyu has better winter colour retention than most Warm season grasses and does not readily discolour with a single frost. The minimum temperature for growth is about 8°C (on established Emerald), well below that of most warm season grasses, such as Bermudagrass or couch grass Cynodon dactylon.
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Top - Normal Kikuyu. Bottom - Emerald Kikuyu
Colour: Better winter colour retention than most warm season grasses and does not readily discolour with a single frost.
- Salinity/Salt Spray/Water Logging: Tolerates moderate soil salinity and salt spray, and has a good tolerance to water logging.
- Soils: Emerald Kikuyu can be established on a wide range of soils. While it does best on well structured soils of high fertility, it can thrive on silty soils and sandy soils with moderate fertility. It can establish on very acidic soils (to pH 4.5) and soils with low phosphorous and potassium.
- Fertilising: Emerald Kikuyu responds well to a fertilising of Munns Buffalo Booster, Munns Buffalo Green or Munns Golf Course Green Lawn Fertiliser in Spring and Autumn.
- Uses: Ideal to use for lawn repair patches, over-sowing cool season grass lawns that collapse in the heat, or for new lawns where you prefer to have a higher percentage of Emerald Kikuyu lawn seed.
- Sowing: Emerald Kikuyu Lawn Seed Mix can take 1-3 weeks to germinate (depending on soil temperature) because of this we have mixed the Kikuyu with a “mother crop” which will germinate very quickly. This will help crowd out any weed seeds that germinate, and slowly but surely the Kikuyu will grow and slowly over-run the mother crop and you end up with a beautiful Emerald Green Kikuyu lawn. The best time to sow Emerald Kikuyu Lawn Seed mix is Spring, Summer or early Autumn. Can be sown 12 months of the year provided ground temperatures are around 21-23C.
- Packet Seed Mix: Contains 10% Emerald Kikuyu and 90% mothercrop. Emerald Kikuyu Lawn Seed Mix (50g Sachet): Contains 95% Emerald Kikuyu and 5% mothercrop.
- Coverage/Packet Size: 50gm : 25m² : 500gm : 25m² : 1kg =50 m² : 2.5kg = 150 m².
