ND
What products should I use on shady kikuyu in winter?
What products best for most shady areas over winter for kikuyu ? Already got charger planned , just noticed penetrate or aerate as some good options , areas get decent sun in spring summer but not as much now
Not much you can do with Kikuyu over winter, it goes dormant. Focus on soil health products.
@Garry B In Auckland, winter soil temperatures typically sit in the 12–15°C range at 10 cm depth. As a warm season grass, Kikuyu slows significantly at these temperatures. It doesn't go fully dormant like it often would further south but it's certainly not in an active growth phase either. I've had good results using Charger at lower rates through winter to help maintain colour and keep the turf ticking over, but expectations should remain realistic until soil temperatures start to rise again in spring.
Here in Auckland, kikuyu growth over winter is largely limited by soil temperatures. As a warm season grass, it slows significantly once soil temps drop below around 15°C and near stops below 10°C, so even with the right inputs, you're not going to drive much growth through winter. Charger is still a reasonable option, as foliar uptake can occur when the plant is ticking over, but keep expectations realistic. Whether you use Penetrate or Aerate depends on the issue: Penetrate is best for dry, hydrophobic areas where water struggles to soak in, while Aerate is better suited to compacted, poorly drained soils. If both conditions exist, they can be applied together. Rather than trying to push growth, winter is the time to build soil health and carbohydrate reserves. Products like Humic+, Root Health, and Restore work on soil biology and microbial activity, so when soil temperatures climb back above that 15°C threshold in spring you're hitting the ground running.