Interesting concept to help you carpet your lawn

Elijah Wanjohi at his nursery on Ngong Road. Photo/DIANA NGILA 

By DOREEN WAINAINAH

inShare

Square grass pieces sit piled on top of each other at Elijah Wanjohi’s nursery at Dagoretti corner along Ngong road.

The squares are patches of Kikuyu grass that have become increasingly popular in the Kenyan landscaping scene along with other types of carpet grass.

Referred to as carpet grass due to the interlocking root and blade system, the grass is weather hardy and when green, gives the lawn a much-needed splash of bright green.

The grass squares are usually sold in one square metre pieces which are laid out one after another next to each other to fit the area set out.

At Wanjohi’s nursery, he sells each piece at Sh100 and at an additional fee of the same, he does home visits to lay out the pieces and help you maintain it until it has taken root.

“With this type of grass, in four weeks your lawn should be green and ready for mowing,” he says. The grass he currently has in stock is from Kinari in central Kenya.

In Kenya, the three most popular types of lawn grasses are the Kikuyu, Zimbabwe and Paspalum. Zimbabwe or Pemba grass from the coast is very good for planting in shaded areas especially under trees and garden structures in the home.

The lush green grass where sunbathing sessions or a garden party can be held will do well with a mix of Paspalum and Kikuyu grass. Kikuyu grass is good for all weather situations as it has no preference on the climatic conditions.

Its hardy nature makes it the most appropriate for the Kenyan landscape which, at times, has no predictable weather patterns. The two types are a bright green and are intertwine to create a carpet-like layer over the soil - hence making them good companions.

During planting, mixing the soil in the planting area with sand provides better drainage for the soil during the rainy season. The topography of an area, whether it has a slight incline or is a flat area plays a role in the drainage.

Sloppy areas allow for the water to drain, however on a flat area, one must create drainage channels to stop the grass from drowning and turning to a pile of mush when pelted by a downpour.

Though advantageous for the wet season, the sand in the soil is usually an issue during the dryer season. The soil drains too fast and if not constantly watered, the grass ends up wilting. An automatic sprinkler system in the hot season can fix that.

Due to the hardiness of this square grass and the fact that it can survive on irrigation, there is no set planting time for it.

Be it a hot January day or a cold July morning, grass can be planted except in the wet season as one cannot control the water supply to the ground which may end up destroying the grass if it’s too much.

To get a lush h lawn, be aware of the fact that the first few weeks are taxing and the grass - whether planted from seeds, plugs or even sprigs - requires special management for it to take root.