Most Village turf is Kikuyu grass, which is native to the highland regions of East Africa, home to the Kikuyu people. It is a warm-season grass that spreads quickly and thrives in areas with moderate temperatures. Seldom intentionally established as a residential turfgrass due to its very invasive nature, Kikuyu grass is often referred to as a “super weed.”
This grass goes dormant in cooler weather, often appearing dead in its dormant state. Once seasons change and temperatures rise, it emerges from dormancy and exhibits an extremely vigorous growth habit. Kikuyu grass spreads quickly by its extensive underground root structure, referred to as rhizomes, and vigorous horizontal surface stems, known as stolons. Under ideal growing conditions, it can grow up to 1 inch a day.
Due to its seasonal nature, the Landscaping Services Department varies mowing frequency throughout the year. In the coolest months, mowing occurs once monthly, with crews performing other maintenance tasks such as trimming and weeding when not mowing. As the weather warms in spring, mowing frequency is increased to every other week; in the heat of summer mowing is performed weekly.
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