Weedy Wednesday - Kikuyu - SAVOUR SOIL PERMACULTURE

Weedy Wednesday - Kikuyu

23/7/2019

Description:
A creeping, aggressive, course, perennial lawn grass spreading by runners and with seed heads that are hidden within the leaf structure and only showing long, white, thread like stamens at flowering in summer. Native to eastern Africa, it is a common lawn grass and pasture
As A Soil Indicator:
Very low Calcium, Very low Phosphorus, High Potassium, Very high Magnesium, Very high Iron, Low humus in the soil, Compacted soils, Little bacteria
Life cycle:
Annual or short lived perennial. Seeds germinate from autumn to spring and it grows mainly in the cooler months. It usually flowers in spring and dies after flowering finishes in summer.
Beneficial:
Spring, summer and autumn fodder grass in coastal areas where frosts aren't too severe. Unpalatable if allowed to go rank. Used as a lawn grass. Used on race courses because of its quick recovery from hoof damage. Planted on irrigation channels to reduce erosion. Used as a soil stabiliser in sandy areas.
Detrimental:
Weed of vegetables, gardens, orchards, cultivation, fine lawns, rotation crops, perennial crops, grass lands, swamps, wetlands, dunes, riparian, bushland, and disturbed areas. Impedes water flows in drains. Fire hazard and it is difficult to extinguish old stands. It forms dense mats and smothers most other species and prevents recruitment of over-storey species. It is listed as one of the "Worlds worst weeds
Toxicity:
Usually safe to graze. It can contain potentially toxic levels of nitrates in lush growth under high nitrogen and good growing conditions. Contains oxalates. Horses and cattle are more susceptible than sheep.