Hello. I live on the Kapiti Coast, so I have very sandy soil and dry summers for my lawn to put up with. Most of our lawn is currently in Kikuyu which although it is very hardy is a right pain to keep looking good and keep to the areas we want it. I also have a large dog that likes to run around on the lawn so the replacement grass with have to deal with some heavy duty wear. I am getting myself pretty confused with the various grass types and their ability to handle wear and tear and most importantly, how well they handle dry weather! Can anyone make a suggestion as to what grass I should plant. Oh - I'm looking to replant, in sections about 1/3 of a quarter acre section.
ruby2shoes,
Apr 12, 10:59pm
why not go for a walk round your neighbourhood and check out everyone's lawns? Then you can ask ppl when you find one you like. I'm a fan of chamomile and mercury bay, don't think the former one would be any good for you.
lythande1,
Apr 12, 11:45pm
Kikuyu is the tough grass. The lovely soft fluffy stuff you see down Sth Island wouldn't last 5 minutes with dogs and dry and sandy.
Suppose you could try couch, thats pretty evil almost impossible to kill once it takes hold.
deered,
Apr 12, 11:56pm
We're semi rural with only one house each side. end result is one neighbour has the same as us and the other has a lawn that doesn't get much use and almost dies each summer, it's been in forever and had a fair amount of weed too (they're the bits that stay green!).
sanders4,
Apr 13, 1:01am
Coastal summers are too harsh for most grasses to handle and I think that it will cost a small fortune to adequately water
tintop,
Apr 13, 1:58am
lol - You can plant what you like, but the kikuyu will win in the end.
happychappy50,
Apr 13, 3:20am
Kikuyu is best suited to your conditions,I had it in Oz,what I did each autumn was to oversow it in rye grass,that way it was still green through winter,once the hot weather arrived it would die,I had a very plentiful water supply so it helped during those hot months,unfortunately you may have to put up with it,the sand will not hold sufficient moisture to maintain a seeded lawn,there is couch which is finer but does brown off in the cooler months,buffalo is also another "stolen type" grass ( has runners where it runs along the ground & sends up shoots) if you add heaps of organic matter over time you maybe able to maintain something a bit better.
Good luck
deered,
Apr 13, 3:27am
Ahh, bugger. I hoped the gardening geniuses here would be able to help me get a better lawn. Oh well, I'll just threaten this stuff with petrol when it goes nuts like it has after the rain and keep mowing! I'll try over sowing too, and see if we get some strike and persistence from something else.
Deered - I'm in Kapiti too, and my lawns sound like your "other' neighbour's - a mix of a little grass & kikuyu, a lot of weeds, and they pretty much die off every summer. I never water, especially now with metering, and just mow it and accept I'll never have pretty lawns!
deered,
Feb 1, 12:12pm
I mainly want something that will hold up so that I don't get too much of a mud track over winter with having a large dog. I may just be stuck with kikuyu :)
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