| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
 Posted - 28/12/2008 : 04:18:22
|
This is the reason I prefer kikuya over couch grass. The photos were taken in my yard yesterday after no rain and hot dry windy conditions for the last 3 or 4 weeks.
Couch grass
Kikuya
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld
|
|
|
tessa
head gardener
Australia
3682 Posts |
Posted - 28/12/2008 : 08:01:22
|
are they both invasive grasses?
and why can we not buy seed for kikuya but we can for couch?
the grass in canada goes into dormancy in hot dry conditions (yes...we get those too!)...and you cannot tell it is dormant unless you walk across it. when you do...it's like walking through snow, in that you leave your footprints behind. but the grass remains green looking and alive.
cranky people live longer. i'm going to live forever! perth, wa |
 |
|
|
Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 28/12/2008 : 08:04:42
|
Kikuya too invasive for me I prefer couch
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
|
|
|
Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 28/12/2008 : 12:49:21
|
They can both be invasive but I find couch the hardest to control when it gets into the garden beds - every tiny little piece has to be dug out and it breaks so easily especially when the ground is dry. Kikuya grows faster and does send runners into the gardens but they are easily pulled out in long pieces - just grab the end and pull. In the bottom pic, the grass is a little browned off at the bottom end as that is where the dogs run all the time. The brown area further away is couch. The Kikuya is also so thick and soft to walk and sit on, even where the dogs run it is still a couple of inches thick. The couch barely covers the bare ground and the dogs wear it away quickly.
Kikuya does seed but it isn't easy to find. Grows much faster from runner anyway.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
|
|
|
tessa
head gardener
Australia
3682 Posts |
Posted - 28/12/2008 : 13:20:49
|
it definitely looks nicer than couch, that's for sure, hey?
cranky people live longer. i'm going to live forever! perth, wa |
|
|
|
GardenDan
gardener
Australia
836 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 07:26:22
|
It's all I used as a young bloke. I think I have shared before, but when I bought my first house I used to go and get trailer loads of Kikuya and bring it back...it was a GREAT lawn...but like most good lawn grasses...very invasive.
Daniel
Happy Gardening |
|
|
|
The Estate
head gardener
Australia
3676 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 07:36:26
|
as long as it is green, I dont care, 50% of my back lawn is weeds, they stay green 
My basic weeding rule: if they grow in rows they're flowers;
if they don't they're weeds.
Melbourne |
|
|
|
GardenDan
gardener
Australia
836 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 09:35:10
|
Green is good!
Daniel
Happy Gardening |
|
|
|
Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 09:54:46
|
Yes it is and our entire block is covered in beautiful green couch..
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
|
|
|
Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 11:25:53
|
My "lawn" of a couple of acres is paspalum with bits of couch and Kike. Yuk.
You can buy kikiyu seed - very expensive - I sowed it once and it did not take. runners are better.
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
|
|
|
Karingal
assistant gardener
Australia
229 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 12:22:58
|
Most of our yard is Buffalo grass....all from some plugs (small individual plants) I bought years ago. Every so often I would transplant a runner and it's now 95% Buffalo. We had patchy winter grass when we first moved in.
Our grass is never watered, fertilised or aerated ...it's healthy look is because we are fortunate to receive a reasonable amount of coastal rain.
I realise the not everyone likes Buffalo...but we love it. We do have sparse patch where the is little sun...I must do some work on that area.
This photo of part of the backyard was taken October 2007.
 |
Edited by - Karingal on 30/12/2008 12:26:20 |
|
|
|
Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 12:28:08
|
I would have buffao grass if I had the water that is one thirsty grass..
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
|
|
|
Karingal
assistant gardener
Australia
229 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 13:09:31
|
I never knew that....thanks Maryanne. When we had the very patchy grass I threw some Dichondra seeds (kidney weed) on the bare patches. I quite liked the look of the D. amongst the sparse grass.
It spreads ...I also have it between the pavers. Some people think it's a pest but I like it
 |
|
|
|
tessa
head gardener
Australia
3682 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 15:44:36
|
i love the buffalo grass, karingal. i think it looks the best of all the grasses here.
cranky people live longer. i'm going to live forever! perth, wa |
|
|
|
Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 18:20:21
|
Karingal
Your garden is lovely. Lush looking grass.
I bought Sir Walter for a few square metres around my pool. It is really an amazing grass and was first discovered growing in the shade in rain forests. I have transplanted lots of runners up on the bush hill above my home paddock and it is never ever watered except from the sky and it is spreading and is lush in patches. I was given some square metres of Sir W from our local nursery as they were sick looking and they have also grown well on my new arena, along with the paspalum, couch and kikiyu. I love the buffalo the best and it does not need watering. It would be ideal for your property in patches Gail. Here you can buy a square metre of Sir W turf for $10 - you would get a lot of runners out of that. It does not seed but it spreads but is not invasive like kike. Last summer the couch overtook it in the pool garden and I had someone dig out large chunks of buffalo and suspected couch and all that went up on the hill. Then I found the couch in other places and decided to give up. This summer I have fertilised a little and have done some top soil with river sand and watered it well and the buffalo is so thick and lush it is about 4 inches thick at the moment and lovely to walk on with bare feet - a bit like old fashioned shag carpet. And because it is so thick this year, all the couch has been overtaken by the buffalo.
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
|
|
|
GardenDan
gardener
Australia
836 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 21:13:56
|
Karingal - I have to say your lawn looks great..do you find it harsh when kids play there?
Daniel
Happy Gardening |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Topic Locked