The Ultimate Guide to Eureka Kikuyu Instant Turf: Australia's Top Choice for Versatile Lawns

1 December 2024 by
Harley Thompson

What Makes Eureka Kikuyu Instant Turf the Best Choice for Your Lawn?

Are you in search of a lawn that combines beauty, durability, and only medium levels of maintenance? Look no further than Eureka Kikuyu Instant Turf. Known as Australia's top choice for versatile and resilient lawns, this turf offers exceptional performance under various conditions. Whether you need a lush lawn for your home, a robust surface for commercial landscapes, or a durable ground for sports fields, Eureka Kikuyu has got you covered.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into everything you need to know about Eureka Kikuyu Instant Turf, from its benefits and uses to installation tips and maintenance advice.

Skip to the Relevant Questions:

What are the Key Features of Kikuyu Instant Turf?

Drought Resistance

Medium

Shade Tolerance

Up to 25%

Wear Tolerance

High

Maintenance Required

Medium

Leaf Type

Medium

What Are the Key Benefits of Eureka Kikuyu Turf?

Eureka Kikuyu Instant Turf is designed to surpass traditional Kikuyu grass with several outstanding features:

  • Aggressive Growth: This turf rapidly fills in bare spots and recovers quickly from damage, making it ideal for high-traffic areas.
  • Medium Drought Tolerance: With a deep rooting system, Eureka Kikuyu withstands full sun, allowing for medium drought tolerance, reducing the need for frequent watering.
  • Maintenance: It requires minimal fertiliser and water compared to other varieties of similar type, making it an economical choice.
  • Durable: Perfect for areas with heavy foot traffic due to its robust and resilient nature.

Eureka Kikuyu is engineered to deliver superior performance in all key traits. Its dense sward reduces the chance of weed invasion, ensuring a lush, vibrant lawn throughout the year. It's particularly suited for sports fields, playgrounds, and busy backyards where wear and tear are common.

How Is Eureka Kikuyu an Economical Choice?

Eureka Kikuyu is priced affordably, offering exceptional value for its durability and medium maintenance requirements. Available for purchase from Daisy's Garden Supplies, with nine stores across Melbourne and Geelong, this instant grass is available for convenient pick-up or affordable delivery. Transforming your outdoor spaces has never been easier or more accessible.

Why Is Eureka Kikuyu Perfect for High-Traffic Areas?

Eureka Kikuyu excels in high-traffic zones due to its aggressive growth habit and robust nature. Ideal for sports fields, playgrounds, and busy backyards, this turf rapidly recovers from wear and tear, ensuring your lawn always looks its best. Its dense sward minimises damage, keeping your lawn lush and green even under heavy use.

How Does Eureka Kikuyu Handle Sun and Drought?

This turf thrives in full sun and exhibits medium drought tolerance. Its deep root system allows it to withstand hotter conditions, reducing the need for frequent watering. Whilst not the most drought tolerant grass, Eureka Kikuyu is a reliable choice for sunny gardens and public spaces, ensuring a vibrant lawn even during dry periods.

What Makes Eureka Kikuyu Turf So Versatile?

Eureka Kikuyu's versatility makes it suitable for a wide range of applications, from residential lawns to commercial landscapes and recreational areas. Its adaptability and robust growth make it an all-rounder turf.

  • Erosion Control: The vigorous growth and strong root system make it ideal for stabilising soil on slopes and embankments, effectively preventing erosion.
  • Home Gardens, Parks, and More: Perfect for residential lawns, commercial landscapes, parks, sports fields, and racetracks. Its versatility and durability ensure it can handle various uses and environments with ease.

How Do You Maintain Eureka Kikuyu Instant Turf?

Eureka Kikuyu is a medium maintenance grass, making it an ideal choice for those looking to enjoy a beautiful lawn. Here's how to keep your Eureka Kikuyu turf in top condition:

What Are the Steps for Maintaining Eureka Kikuyu?

Maintaining Eureka Kikuyu is straightforward and clear. Regular mowing, proper fertilisation, and occasional dethatching are key to keeping your lawn healthy and vibrant.

  • Mowing: Maintain an ideal mowing height of 20-25mm. During spring and summer, mow more frequently to keep the grass at the desired height. Less frequent mowing is needed in autumn and winter. Eureka Kikuyu can be maintained at a shorter height of 15mm if mown regularly with a cylinder mower during the spring and summer months.
  • Fertilising: Apply a high-nitrogen lawn food in September for optimum growth. Additional fertilisation in March will aid root and rhizome production, preparing the lawn for winter dormancy and promoting spring green-up.

How Often Should You Water Eureka Kikuyu Turf?

A good watering program is crucial to maintaining a healthy and vibrant Eureka Kikuyu lawn. The age of your turf, the season, and weather conditions will influence how much water is required.

Watering Freshly Laid Turf (Weeks 0-4)

  • After laying your Eureka Kikuyu turf, it’s essential to water it immediately and keep it damp throughout the establishment period (typically 2-8 weeks depending on the variety and season). Water the new turf 2-3 times a day, ensuring that it never dries out, especially during extreme heat.

Watering Established Turf (Weeks 4-6+)

  • Once the new root system has started to establish and the turf is firm to the ground, you can begin to reduce the frequency of watering while increasing the duration. Gradually decrease watering to once a day, then every second day, and eventually, move to one deep soak (1-2 hours) once a week. These deeper waterings encourage your lawn to develop stronger, deeper roots by seeking moisture further into the soil.

What is the Best Way to Water Your Lawn?

  • The most efficient and effective way to water your Eureka Kikuyu lawn is by using a portable sprinkler or a pop-up irrigation system. This method delivers water evenly and quickly across the lawn. If using a portable sprinkler, remember to move it around as needed to ensure the entire lawn receives water.

What Fertiliser Is Best for Eureka Kikuyu?

For optimal growth and health, use a high-nitrogen lawn fertiliser:

  • Mid-September: Promote spring growth.
  • Mid to late November: After removing thatch.
  • March: Boost root and rhizome production before winter.

Avoid manure-based fertilisers as they may not provide the necessary nutrients for this turf variety.

How Do You Top Dress Eureka Kikuyu Turf?

Top dressing helps maintain a level surface and improves the health of your turf. Here's how to do it:

  • Timing: Best done during the growing season, typically in spring or early summer.
  • Material: Use  a top dressing, such as Turf Sand or White Washed Sand. This can be done after full recovery from de-thatching or at any time during mid-late spring.
  • Application: Spread a thin layer (about 5-10mm) evenly over the turf.
  • Integration: Work the top dressing into the turf with a rake, ensuring it fills in any low spots. Water the area thoroughly after top dressing.

How Do You Dethatch Eureka Kikuyu Turf?

Dethatching removes the layer of dead grass and organic matter that can build up between the soil and the green grass blades. This process allows air, water, and nutrients to penetrate the soil more effectively.

  • Timing: Dethatch in late spring or early summer when the grass is actively growing.
  • Tools: Use a dethatching rake for small areas or a vertical cutter for larger lawns.
  • Process: Mow the lawn to a low height (scalping) to remove thatch. Rake up and dispose of the thatch debris.
  • Post-Dethatching Care: After dethatching, apply a high-nitrogen fertiliser and water the lawn deeply to encourage recovery and new growth.

Does 10 Year Warranty Come with Eureka Kikuyu Turf?

With every purchase of Eureka Kikuyu, you receive a Lawn Solutions Australia 10-Year Product Warranty. This warranty guarantees that you are getting genuine, high-quality Eureka Kikuyu turf that has undergone rigorous testing and meets strict quality standards. Your investment is protected, ensuring you enjoy a lush, vibrant lawn for years to come.

How Do You Install Eureka Kikuyu Instant Turf?

Installing Eureka Kikuyu Instant Turf is a straightforward process that involves proper preparation, laying the turf, and post-installation care to ensure successful growth and a healthy lawn..

How Do You Prepare for Installing Eureka Kikuyu Turf?

Proper preparation is crucial for the successful installation of Eureka Kikuyu turf. Follow these steps:

  • Soil Preparation: Ensure you have at least 100mm of well-worked soil. Use a rotary hoe (tiller) to break up the existing soil if suitable. If the soil is poor or minimal, add topsoil.
  • Remove Debris: Clear the area of stones, clods, and other debris.

  • Rake: Rake the entire area to create a smooth, even surface, allowing for about 25mm below paths and driveways for the thickness of the turf.

  • Apply Starter Fertiliser: Evenly apply a starter fertiliser to the prepared soil area to promote root establishment.


In-depth steps for soil Preparation:

  1. Remove Existing Grass: Use a weed killer to clear any remaining grass and debris like rocks and sticks from the area.
  2. Aerate the Soil: For clay or compacted soil, break up the surface using a rotary hoe to encourage root growth.
  3. Add Quality Topsoil: If needed, apply a layer of sandy garden loam, such as Daisy’s Lawn Mix, to improve soil conditions.



4. Check Soil pH: Ensure the pH level is between 6 and 7.5, and adjust with lime if necessary to raise the pH.

5. Boost Moisture Retention: Mix water storage crystals into the soil to help retain moisture.


What Is the Process for Laying Eureka Kikuyu Turf?

  • Start Laying Turf: Begin laying your Eureka Kikuyu along a straight edge, such as a driveway or path, furthest from the stack of turf.
  • Brick-Work Pattern: Lay the turf pieces in a brick-work pattern to ensure stability and reduce gaps. Place the pieces next to each other without overlapping.
  • Trimming: Use a sharp knife or hedge shears to trim the turf pieces to fit around paths, garden beds, and other obstacles.
  • Top Dress: After laying the turf, top dress with white-washed sand (approximately 1/2m³ per 100m² of turf). Wash the sand through the turf with a strong jet of water to help the turf settle and establish contact with the soil.
  • Watering: Begin watering immediately after laying the turf. For larger installations, water each section as you complete it. Keep the turf moist with regular daily watering until root growth is established, which typically takes 3 to 6 weeks depending on the season.

When Is the Best Time to Lay Eureka Kikuyu Grass?

Eureka Kikuyu can be laid at any time of the year. However, for the quickest establishment and best results, install the turf during the warmer months when the grass is actively growing. Spring and early summer are ideal times for laying Eureka Kikuyu, as the warmer temperatures promote rapid root development and growth.

What are the Other Frequently Asked Questions about Kikuyu? (FAQs)

How Do You Stop Kikuyu Grass from Spreading?

Kikuyu grass is known for its aggressive growth and can spread beyond desired areas. To control its spread:

  • Mow and Edge Regularly: Frequent mowing and edging will help control runners.
  • Pull Runners by Hand: For small invaded areas, manually pull out the runners.
  • Use Non-Selective Herbicide: For larger areas, apply a non-selective herbicide to remove unwanted Kikuyu grass.

Can Kikuyu Grass Grow in the Shade?

Kikuyu grass thrives in full sun and does not perform well in shaded areas. It requires at least 5-6 hours of direct sunlight per day for optimal growth. In shaded environments, Kikuyu grass may become thin and weak, making it less suitable for areas with limited sunlight.

What Is the Ideal Environment for Growing Eureka Kikuyu?

Eureka Kikuyu thrives in sunny environments with well-drained soil. It is highly adaptable to a range of climates but performs best in areas with full sun exposure and moderate watering.

Why Is Eureka Kikuyu a Popular Choice for Landscapers?

Eureka Kikuyu is popular among landscapers due to its adaptability and durability. Its ability to withstand heavy foot traffic and harsh environmental conditions makes it an ideal choice for both residential and commercial projects.

How Do You Know If Eureka Kikuyu Is Right for Your Lawn?

If you are looking for a lawn that is easy to maintain and is resilient to wear and tear. Eureka Kikuyu is an excellent choice as a lush grass. Its versatility and performance make it suitable for a wide range of applications and environments.