kikuyu grass invasion

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by Peter Warne, Feb 20, 2005.

  1. disorderly

    disorderly Junior Member

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    I agree here.
    Sometimes it's a necessary evil to use a non residual herbicide as the first step to creating a sustainable garden.
    Too often people are hamstrung by their ideals and are always "gunna" create something but the task at hand always appears to large in the beginning.
    If by killing the weeds in an area with herbicide so one can start the process of creating a useable garden then so be it.
    Sometimes compromise is neccessary.

    Scott
     
  2. Paul Darrington

    Paul Darrington Junior Member

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    Methods of replacing grass

    I agree on the glycosphate, just not where edibles where to be planted, of course.


    Good point Tas on the guinea pig 'tractors', i've just never been much of a fan of chicken tractors, after building one last year.
    If you build it small & light, it requires very regular moving, & the such a small area cleared at a time.
    Build it large & it becomes heavy & cumbersome, requiring two or so people to move it.

    but they do have their advantages.


    Thanks Teela, the sheep are a rare breed, I got these guys delivered from Victoria, & there's another breeder in Cootamundra.
    We're hoping to sell the lambs to hobby farmers or orcharists.

    They're quite popular in the US, just type in 'babydoll southdowns' & you'll get lots of photo's.
    I'll ask the forest dwarves if they'd be interested in shearing them..
     
  3. frosty

    frosty Junior Member

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    if you are thinking of using glyphosate you should be aware that the manufacturers lie about it not being residual - independant tests have shown it can still be there after 2 years ..........

    and of course it will also pollute the groundwater and thus your neighbours bores ( so perhaps the nice thing to do is first see how they feel about roundup in their bore water

    personally I wouldnt live anywhere that has EVER had it used there and I certainly wouldnt eat food grown there or watered from any bore within 100 m

    frosty
     
  4. kev on maui

    kev on maui Guest

    I work on a property with extensive fruit tree plantings that is surrounded in kukuyo grass. At first I was thinking this guy is crazy for not taking care of the grass before planting the trees. After being on the property for a while I realized the trees seem to be doing just fine. We do an occasional mow just to keep the grass from getting crazy tall. I would say live with it and experiment with different usefull ground covers that will at least thin the grass out and a bit. I've used clover and it seems to prevent the kukuyo from getting to crazy. If the grass is invading a garden area rip it up and plant clover and a very dense border of comfrey, lemon grass, and vetiver, anything really that will stop the grass from creeping in. If it's in an orchard I way leave it be. To plant smaller trees in it he usually leaves cardboard on the spot to be planted to kill the grass and then seeds it with a mix of agressive ground covers and plants the tree. I think kukuyo is far better than having just weedcloth, I think the idea that grass is bad for fruit trees comes from people planting them in lawns and then weed whiping too close to the trees damaging the bark causing them to be stressed out and blaming the grass.
     

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