Male Sterile Kikuyu

Sterile Seed Head on MSK

Male Sterile Kikuyu

As the name suggests, Male Sterile Kikuyu is a sterile form of Kikuyu which cannot produce functional anthers and pollen, and therefore cannot produce viable seed on it's own. Male Sterile Kikuyu (MSK) was bred to combat all of the worst aspects of Kikuyu grass which led to it being declared a noxious weed in most states of Australia and in many countries around the world.

This was due to the highly invasive nature of Kikuyu Grass which can lead to massive detrimental environment impacts whenever it releases into the wild via it's grass seeds and via spreading from home lawns. The sterile Kikuyu does not produce viable seeds on it's own and therefore the chances of seed dispersion are almost eliminated.

Note: MSK may still produce viable seed if there is a normal Kikuyu lawn close by to pollenate the grass.

Two variants of MSK include Kenda and Village Green.

Kikuyu does have great benefits as a lawn which other grass types simply cannot match, and Male Sterile Kikuyu (MSK) was bred to provide all of these benefits, but in a sterile grass form which would produce little to no viable seed. As a result, the environmental impacts of Kikuyu would then be greatly diminished.

Male Sterile Kikuyu will look and behave almost the same as old Kikuyu, however some of these new breeds have been bred to have greater Winter colour and a greater density of rhizomes which aids in it's drought tolerance.

Under no circumstances should normal Kikuyu be purchased by anyone, for any reason. If a Kikuyu lawn is to be purchased, then a Male Sterile Kikuyu should be the only choice.

Best Uses of Male Sterile Kikuyu

As we've already discussed - Kikuyu should no longer be considered as a general purpose lawn choice for most homeowners when there are so many better lawns available these days.

All of which require far less mowing, look nicer, require less maintenance, are less invasive and less harmful to the Australian environment and home gardens.

However…

Male Sterile Kikuyu still has a useful purpose as a lawn in Australia, and following are the very best applications when MSK will become the best choice for consideration of a new lawn type.

Best Lawn For Large Dogs

Let's face it, large dogs can destroy a yard and a home lawn like a cyclone that never ends. If this is the case in your yard, and you love your dogs but hate the damage, then Male Sterile Kikuyu is probably the best choice of grass available. While the lawn and yard will still become damaged from activity from the dogs, MSK will be able to keep up and repair the damage faster than any other lawn types during the warmer months.

Male Sterile Kikuyu is the best lawn for large dogs.

Sporting Fields and Ovals

Once again, the grasses on many sporting fields and ovals are subject to intensive wear and tear, and will need to be able to repair from damage very quickly. In these situations, Male Sterile Kikuyu will still be the very best choice of lawn, as there is simply no other grass which can withstand wear and tear, and have the ability to repair quickly from the rigorous damage inflicted on sporting grounds like Kikuyu can.

But once again, Councils, Schools and Governments should never consider old Kikuyu as an option. Male Sterile Kikuyu is the only responsible choice whenever Kikuyu becomes the only viable lawn.

Lawn Mowing Requirements

All those great traits which allow Kikuyu to so quickly and effectively repair from heavy damage does come with a trade-off.

This quick repair of Kikuyu is due almost entirely to the very fast growth rates of this grass type…

And this equates to more lawn mowing.

All Kikuyu lawns, including Male Sterile Kikuyu will need very frequent mowing to keep it under control and looking good. Kikuyu simply requires a lot more lawn mowing than all other lawn types.

But the good news for those people who want an MSK lawn but don't want to mow the lawn so often is that the grass is almost indestructible. It can be left for a period of time, get very long, and then get cut short, and it will still survive and re-establish. A trait which is almost unheard of in other grass types.

Maintenance of Kikuyu Lawn

Kikuyu will not tolerate all weed sprays well, always check the product labels of these lawn products to ensure it is safe for use on Kikuyu.

Apart from the extra lawn mowing, Kikuyu will also require more pulling of runners from surrounding garden beds as it can invade quickly.

MSK thrives in full sun, and shade tolerance of Male Sterile Kikuyu is poor to average, so ensure to mow the lawn higher in shaded areas to keep it in good health.

And finally, Male Sterile Kikuyu can thrive in almost all soil types no matter how poor, loves the hot weather, and the grass can be totally neglected and still survive. But remember, no matter how tough Male Sterile Kikuyu is, if you want a really nice looking lawn, then always follow good lawn care practices.

Disclaimer:
The Lawn Guide is independently owned and authored.
All articles on The Lawn Guide are original, unbiased and independent.
The Kenda strain of Kikuyu is advertised on The Lawn Guide.