I'm a fairly experienced gardener but a complete novice at turf. I layed some kykiu mid October and followed the watering guide for establishment. All seemed to be going well, i noticed a white fly infestation but opted not to treat it until it was fully established. Every time I mow it patches seem to die. I don't have a proper mower yet so I'm using a whipper snipper, I'm not scalping it. I'm mowing late afternoon when the turf is dry. I have done sprinkler tests and am getting a pretty uniform spread off 10mm-40mm. I'm not sure what is going on. I'm leaning towards fungal or the white fly but feeling a bit out of my depth. I've increased watering times for now but would like some input from any turf enthusiasts.
by Burswode
9 Comments
There is so much in this post that is just wrong… Don’t know how to even start.
So many people will want to know your secret!
Do you know what’s under it?
Are you in a new build?
It looks like the time when I spread a wrong herbicide on.
Probably better off posting in an actual lawn subreddit than one full of people who despise lawns lol
You’re not overwatering it? Kikuyu can be sensitive to overwatering when getting established.
This happened to me too. What I suspected was that the rich soil that came with the turf, and the soil that I mixed into the sand, completely dried out with those first few hot days in a row a couple weeks ago. It just crusted up and compacted. I’ve been watering mine every day, aerated the bad areas with a pitch fork, added more soil wetter. It is bouncing back. Before getting the ground wet again I could barely get the pitch fork in the ground.
Just out of interest, how on earth do you mow your lawn using a whipper snapper?? Seems hilarious! 😄
Please explain it to me like I’m four, I’m genuinely at a loss to understand how. 🤔
Okay firstly water at night or late afternoon when suns gone down, water heavily it loves water, dont mow it while it recovers let it just grow a bit it sounds like its not fully established properly yet it shouldn’t be getting shocked from being mowed to the height shown in the pictures, I’d wait about a month after it comes fully green again before mowing.
Now to explain my knowledge of it, I used to do garden renovations a client of mine was struggling with less hardy grasses and we had to grow and transfer rolls of this specific grass to their yard and we did exactly as I have suggested to you to do and their lawn took of perfectly, I wish you all the best with this, its a wonderful lawn if maintained properly and watered generously.