It is a species native to tropical Africa with the botanical name of Pennisetum clandestinum.

It is characterized by excellent resistance to heat and major diseases.

It spreads rapidly thanks to vigorous stolons and rhizomes.

It also adapts well to heavy soils.

It tolerates the salinity of soils and waters fairly well with the possibility of using waste water for irrigation.

If managed with frequent, low cuts KIKUYU forms a dense turf.

Its peculiarity is undoubtedly its lower dormancy compared to any other macrothermal species; in coastal environments in the presence of a mild winter, KIKUYU is therefore capable of maintaining the green color even during the cold months, not requiring the normal autumn overseeding practices typical of macrothermal meadows.

Shading tolerance is medium.

KIKUYU is made up of a specific variety selected with a medium-coarse texture, with medium internodes and large rhizomes.

KIKUYU shows the presence of stolons and rhizomes with stems which, if not mowed, reach a height of 8-15 cm.

The leaf blades are 1 to 12 cm long and up to 6 mm wide.

Flowering is prolific and seed production is high; increasing the mowing frequency stimulates the expression of flowering with the characteristic white filaments (also present after mowing).

Its lower dormancy makes the use of KIKUYU more suitable for the warm regions of Southern Italy, as any cold periods below 0 °C with the presence of plants still in vegetative activity (therefore green in color) could cause their death.

Composition:

100% Pennisetum clandestinum Whittet

Ground:

Also heavy, hot, pH neutral and even sub-alkaline

Sowing period:

From April to late August. The seed needs a soil temperature above 15-18 °C to allow optimal germination

Recommended dosage:

Dosage: 10-20 g/m2.

Yield: 500g = 25-50 m2

The maximum doses are recommended in case of late sowing and/or imperfect tillage of the seedbed

Cut:

Perform the first cut when the carpet has reached 6-8 cm, approximately 3-4 weeks after emergence and immediately bring it to 5.5-6 cm.

Once the lawn is mature you can go down to 4-5 cm without problems.

The more the cutting height is reduced, the greater the maintenance requirements

Nutrition:

Phosphate fertilization at sowing.

During the vegetative growth phase (late spring, summer and early autumn) it is best to maintain an adequate nitrogen level to facilitate the metabolism of the plants with fertilizers such as Reprise 20.5.10 or Hot Summer 35.0.0.

The frequency of intervention varies in relation to the type of use/sustained cutting height.

Before the potential entry into dormancy (late autumn/early winter) we recommend the distribution of Cold Time 4.3.8 to face the rigors of winter and promote prompt spring recovery.

The same fertilizer is also very interesting for the first vegetative awakening in spring

Irrigation:

If there is an irrigation system during sowing, keep the soil constantly moist so as not to stop the germination process.

Afterwards the quantity of water can be significantly reduced (depending on the type of use)

Phytostimulation:

It strongly benefits from treatments with phytofortifiers and biostimulants

Regeneration:

It can be performed in 2 different periods with 2 different purposes.

At the beginning-end of autumn (depending on the area of settlement) to avoid the yellow color and allow vegetative growth of the lawn, intervention with MACROSEEDING (special formula based on selected and specific ryegrasses with a short spring transition period) at a dose between 40-50 and 80 g/m2 (the higher doses refer to technical overseeding).

Or at the end of spring (end of April-June) with KIKUYU at a dose of 10-15 g/m2 to close any drops created during the winter.

In any case, a verticut must always be carried out with the removal of the felt and the resulting material before reseeding operations