Kikuyu is the cheaper of the two lawns we grow, per square metre. On a big block, that gap gets multiplied by every metre you lay. It keeps saving after it goes down, too, because it patches its own bare spots and copes with the sandy soil around the Coast.
The catch is that you pay some of it back in mowing and edging. And it will waste your money anywhere that doesn’t get full sun. Here’s where the savings come from, and where they leak.
The saving starts with the square metres
Turf is sold by the square metre, so the size of your yard does the heavy lifting. Take a plain 20 by 20 metre backyard. That’s 400 square metres. Every dollar per square metre between Kikuyu and Sir Walter Buffalo is $400 before a single roll goes down. Double the yard and you double the difference.
Bigger orders also tend to come down in rate, which helps a large lawn again. Ring 0409 912 824 with your square metres and we’ll give you a figure for both grasses side by side. That way you’re comparing real numbers, not guesses.
Getting the measurement right matters more on a big job. Order 10% too much on 400 square metres and you’ve got 40 square metres of turf yellowing on the driveway. Order too little and you’re waiting on a second delivery to finish the last corner. Our guide to measuring your lawn covers rectangles, ovals and the odd shapes most yards really are. Or we’ll come out and measure it for free.
Where Kikuyu keeps paying you back
The purchase price is the obvious saving. The less obvious ones show up over the next few years.
It fixes its own bare patches
Kikuyu spreads by runners above and below the ground. When the dog digs a hole or the cricket crease wears bare, those runners grow back across the gap, usually within a few weeks in warm weather. On a slower lawn, the same patch can mean buying a few rolls and relaying it. Across a big yard that gets used hard, that adds up.
It copes with the ground you’ve already got
Plenty of Coast suburbs, from Umina Beach to The Entrance, sit on sandy, free-draining soil. Kikuyu handles it well. You still lay it on a decent layer of underlay, but you’re not fighting the site across hundreds of square metres.
It bounces back after a dry spell
Kikuyu can brown off when the Coast goes weeks without rain, then green up again once it gets a drink. For a big lawn that mostly relies on rain rather than the hose, that matters. A lawn that recovers is cheaper than one you have to replace.
Where the savings leak
This is the part a price list won’t tell you, so we’ll tell you straight.
Mowing. The same fast growth that fills bare patches means Kikuyu needs cutting more often than Sir Walter Buffalo through summer. When it’s warm and wet, that’s often weekly. On 400 square metres that’s real time on the mower, or a bigger bill if someone else does it. It slows right down in winter.
Edging. Kikuyu doesn’t respect boundaries. Left alone, it runs into garden beds, under fences and into the neighbour’s yard. A solid edge along your beds, put in when the lawn is laid, is a one-off cost that saves years of pulling runners out of your plants. Budget for it up front.
Shade. This is the expensive one. Kikuyu wants full sun for most of the day. Lay it under a big gum or along the south side of the house and it thins out. Then you end up paying for that part of the lawn twice.
Big yard with a shady strip?
Lots of large Central Coast blocks are mostly sunny with one shaded corner. The cost-effective answer is often Kikuyu across the open area and Sir Walter Buffalo in the shade, since it copes with about 3 hours of direct sun a day.
If you go that way, put a proper barrier between the two. Kikuyu is the more aggressive grower, and given half a chance it will creep into Sir Walter. Tell us how the sun moves across your yard and we’ll tell you whether a split lawn is worth it, or whether one grass will do the job.
Is Kikuyu the cheaper lawn for your yard?
Kikuyu usually works out the most cost-effective choice when:
- the lawn gets full sun for most of the day
- the area is big and open, measured in hundreds of square metres
- kids, dogs or both use it hard
- you’re happy to mow weekly through the warmer months
- your garden beds are edged, or you’re ready to edge them
If two or more of those don’t fit your block, Sir Walter Buffalo may cost more per metre but less over the life of the lawn. For more on living with a big Kikuyu lawn, see why Kikuyu stands out for large backyards and how to keep Kikuyu healthy year-round.
Who lays it changes the number too
On a large lawn, the other choice that moves your total is who does the laying. Supply only is the cheaper way in if you’ve got the time, a few helpers, and the ground ready before the truck arrives. Supply and lay is quoted per job, because ground prep varies from site to site, and on big yards the prep is most of the work.
Either way, it starts with a free measure and quote. Contact 0409 912 824 or get in touch online, and your Kikuyu will be cut at Peats Ridge within 12 hours of landing in your yard.