PDA

View Full Version : Identifying runner type grasses



steveo
02-07-2014, 06:11 PM
I am stumped as to how to differentiate between Kikuyu, cooch and buffalo grass. I always lump them all together as runner type grasses(warm season grasses). I tend to just call them all cooch but I really have no idea and it concerns me that some selective herbicides affect some and not other grasses. Anyone got a good resource on the web that may help or any of their own tips?

Fred's mowing
02-07-2014, 06:36 PM
I am stumped as to how to differentiate between Kikuyu, cooch and buffalo grass. I always lump them all together as runner type grasses(warm season grasses). I tend to just call them all cooch but I really have no idea and it concerns me that some selective herbicides affect some and not other grasses. Anyone got a good resource on the web that may help or any of their own tips?

Couch is much finer than the other two.
Kik is in the middle & buffalo is usually the thickest, most coarse, although there is now varieties that are much softer.
If you look at the stems of some of the buffalo, they have a red tinge.
Should be heaps on the net.
Down here the predominant specie is Kik but, we also have a fair bit of couch & buffalo.
During the drought, species of buffalo were sprooked as being the best in this regard.
Years ago buffalo was extremely coarse, when you sat on it in shorts, it would leave indentations on the back of your legs.
Remember the days of the old school yard?
Cheers Fred.

steveo
02-07-2014, 07:51 PM
we used to laugh a lot. Thanks Fred. I'm going to take more care in future because I read Dicamba can affect buffalo. I use dicamba/mcpa as a general purpose broadleaf.

troppo
02-07-2014, 10:15 PM
We have mainly buffalo up here as the couch doesn't handle the dry season at all. Just started using Kamba M with great results and just ordered a 20 litre this arv (only stock 1 litres) Use it on buffalo even though it says not to use on buffalo grass. A bit like fish I suppose - depends on where you live to what they call things.

djkgrounds
03-07-2014, 04:56 PM
Never had issues with Kamba on Buffalo grass, We have a good supplier with good prices down here that makes the stuff on site as well as some other really good stuff.
http://www.superway.com.au/

Mow And Go
03-07-2014, 05:55 PM
Javelin/spearhead is good on just about everything too fwiw

GardeningSolutions
03-07-2014, 07:18 PM
Dicamba & MCPA will bugger up Buffalo lawn here in SA. It'll go yellow & bits will die but will eventually grow back. Spray a Buffalo lawn with the wrong chemical here and you chance loosing that job. I've been using Bin die.
It pays to know your grasses as could be a bit embarrassing if a potential customer asks you what turf they have and you haven't a clue.

Bluey
03-07-2014, 08:36 PM
I dont mean to sound harsh but mate you really need to be able to tell what type of grass is what. Calling Kik and Buff couch just doesnt fly. If you want to be seen as a professional learn what type of grasses we have. If you dont know what it is look it up and learn about it. Spend the time learning and it will reward you threefold. Being a lawnie has some prerequisites as far as I am concerned. Knowing what type of grass you are mowing and its care is pretty high up on the list.

NLALM
04-07-2014, 03:05 PM
Well said blue.... hows the canoe coming along

steveo
04-07-2014, 04:44 PM
I dont mean to sound harsh but mate you really need to be able to tell what type of grass is what. Calling Kik and Buff couch just doesnt fly. If you want to be seen as a professional learn what type of grasses we have. If you dont know what it is look it up and learn about it. Spend the time learning and it will reward you threefold. Being a lawnie has some prerequisites as far as I am concerned. Knowing what type of grass you are mowing and its care is pretty high up on the list.

Totally agree, which is why i started this thread. Apart from fred's post I'm no wiser.

steveo
04-07-2014, 05:07 PM
7628

I pulled this up from my garden. According to fred's description I reckon its couch. ANyone agree or diagree? Anyone able and willing to post some pics of buffalo and kik?

steveo
04-07-2014, 05:08 PM
Bugger it, dunno how that mower photo got in. The couch pic is the little one.

NLALM
04-07-2014, 06:59 PM
Cynodon dactylon Botanical name for couch grass. A good idea for you is what you have done . Take a photo and tell us what you think it is, and we will help. Im pretty sure the other picture is a lawn mower

steveo
04-07-2014, 07:26 PM
Thanks mate, appreciate it. Funny thing it's not even my mower. It's a pic i copied from the forum and saved for future reference. I know there not runner grasses but I came across these two weeds today. The grass was really thick with them. Anyone know what they might be? The one with the fibrous roots has a silver look to it. The other has a tap root. Neither had flowers. 76297630

Redeye
04-07-2014, 08:03 PM
that mower looks familiar....

Fred's mowing
04-07-2014, 11:59 PM
first one is cape weed, second one is a canon lens cover, proly 2.8-3.5 50mm:cool:
Cheers Fred.

Cranbourne Lawnmowing
05-07-2014, 12:25 AM
7628

I pulled this up from my garden. According to fred's description I reckon its couch. ANyone agree or diagree? Anyone able and willing to post some pics of buffalo and kik?


Thanks mate, appreciate it. Funny thing it's not even my mower. It's a pic i copied from the forum and saved for future reference. I know there not runner grasses but I came across these two weeds today. The grass was really thick with them. Anyone know what they might be? The one with the fibrous roots has a silver look to it. The other has a tap root. Neither had flowers. 76297630

First one looks like crows feet , I've heard it called summer grass too, normally comes up in the warmer months. Second one is cape weed and the third I'm not sure about . I've being trying to find out what that is for a while now .

Cranbourne Lawnmowing
05-07-2014, 01:11 AM
76317632

Difference in kik and buff

DavidS
05-07-2014, 06:08 AM
Main difference between Buffalo and Kikuyu is that Buffalo only has stolons which run along the top of the soil where Kikuyu has stolons and rhizomes. Rhizomes run below the soil surface, so if you dig a small section out you can tell straight away if there are no runners below the surface the grass is a Buffalo. Kikuyu also has a different shaped leaf and is also a different green to buffalo.

DavidS
05-07-2014, 06:13 AM
Third weed is Wild Radish http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/03030800-0b07-490a-8d04-0605030c0f01/media/Images/Raphanus_raphanistrum/raphanus%20raphanistrum11.jpg
http://www.weeds.org.au/cgi-bin/weedident.cgi?tpl=plant.tpl&state=&s=&region=all&card=H06
http://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/eafrinet/weeds/key/weeds/Media/Html/Cynodon_dactylon_%28Couch_Grass%29.htm Pretty certain that the first pic is Couch. Crab grass is this one http://www.sugarresearch.com.au/icms_docs/157797_Bulletin_Vol_33_Weed_profile_crowsfoot_gras s_Eleusine_indica.pdf

steveo
05-07-2014, 08:30 AM
that mower looks familiar....

Thought it was yours redeye. Lucky it wasn't something more embarrising.

steveo
05-07-2014, 10:16 AM
I agree with capeweed and canon lens cover.

From what i can make out from the links DAVIDS posted
Couch - perrenial, spreads by stolons and rhizomes
Crows foot - annual, fibrous roots

I think its couch because, although that picture i posted doesn't show it, there are stolons. The flower spikes for couch, crabgrass look the same. From what I am reading also Crabgrass is a summer grass. Doesn't seem to be any mention of crabgrass spreading by stolons. Here is another pic which shows the stolons and the roots coming down. Dunno what the third one is, had no luck so far. 7633

There is a reasonable description of common turf weeds here although the photos are poor http://toolboxes.flexiblelearning.net.au/archive/tour/turf/html/pages/office/grass_roots/common_weeds.html#bindii

BeetleJuice
05-07-2014, 11:00 AM
Pictures will help
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=different+australian+grass+types+pictures

Fred's mowing
05-07-2014, 12:29 PM
I agree with capeweed and canon lens cover.

From what i can make out from the links DAVIDS posted
Couch - perrenial, spreads by stolons and rhizomes
Crows foot - annual, fibrous roots

I think its couch because, although that picture i posted doesn't show it, there are stolons. The flower spikes for couch, crabgrass look the same. From what I am reading also Crabgrass is a summer grass. Doesn't seem to be any mention of crabgrass spreading by stolons. Here is another pic which shows the stolons and the roots coming down. Dunno what the third one is, had no luck so far. 7633

There is a reasonable description of common turf weeds here although the photos are poor http://toolboxes.flexiblelearning.net.au/archive/tour/turf/html/pages/office/grass_roots/common_weeds.html#bindii
Yes, that's couch.
David gave you the answer to the third one, wild radish.
We get most of the weeds that your link has, also another really prevalent weed we get around here is Shepherd's purse.
As with a lot of common plant names its a bit weird.
Ive never seen a shepherd, let alone his purse :i dunno: , it relates to the shape of the seed pod.
Cheers Fred

steveo
05-07-2014, 07:00 PM
There are some really weird names out there for sure. Had to laugh when I heard the name sour sod. Of all the things they named a weed after me. Mankind must have struggled for thousands of years against the little blighters. They say prostitutes are the worlds oldest profession but gardeners wouldn't be too far behind them. Once looked in an old herald sun from 1930 and in the classifieds where very similar gardening ads to what you see today. I'll go back to my beer now.

Mow And Go
05-07-2014, 07:09 PM
think that's bad ...I have Patersons curse ...funnily enough spelt the same way as my surname which is the less common lol

seliment
05-07-2014, 08:24 PM
think that's bad ...I have Patersons curse ...

Cross your western border to SA and it becomes Salvation Jane -- but its still a weed.

Joe

NLALM
06-07-2014, 02:00 PM
That's one reason why it is hard to give accurate advice, different states different names, another reason to learn the botanical names.

33293
16-10-2020, 07:30 PM
Hi everyone - I've got a lot of learning to do in this space. This old thread is a good start...

Would anyone be able to recommend any books that would assist with identifying turf and weeds?

Many thanks in advance!

South East Mowing
17-10-2020, 07:24 AM
Hi everyone - I've got a lot of learning to do in this space. This old thread is a good start...

Would anyone be able to recommend any books that would assist with identifying turf and weeds?

Many thanks in advance!

Maybe the same one I use to self diagnose "Google"

ian
17-10-2020, 09:11 AM
If you had asked earlier this year I could have given you some, I took them to the op shop as I hadn't looked at them in years I either google or ask on the forum for anything
the main runner grasses in Vic are buffalo(generally thicker dark green leaves and runners spreads above ground sold at Bunnings if you want a look ) Kikuyu lighter green thick leaves and runners which spreads underground and above ground both easily killed with glyphosate and Couch thin runners spreads above and underground

33293
18-10-2020, 06:33 PM
Cheers for that. I think I can spot those 3 although I struggle between buffalo and kikuyu a bit.

You wouldn’t by chance remember any of the titles from the books you gave up for adoption would you?

No worries if you don’t have any further info!

I might check out what the tafes use for hort certs and read up a bit :)

Andy B
20-10-2020, 07:35 AM
Cheers for that. I think I can spot those 3 although I struggle between buffalo and kikuyu a bit.

You wouldn’t by chance remember any of the titles from the books you gave up for adoption would you?

No worries if you don’t have any further info!

I might check out what the tafes use for hort certs and read up a bit :)

Buffalo is usually darker green and has a rounded tip. Kikuyu grows faster, has a pointy tip and far more shoots off the runners, you'll see it grow up the insolation on power poles, it's way more likely to breach borders and take off while buffallo is usually a slow grower with the occasional season that goes off.

Andy B
20-10-2020, 08:28 PM
Buffalo is usually darker green and has a rounded tip. Kikuyu grows faster, has a pointy tip and far more shoots off the runners, you'll see it grow up the insolation on power poles, it's way more likely to breach borders and take off while buffallo is usually a slow grower with the occasional season that goes off.

It's Zoysia I confuse, rarely see it but correct me if I'm wrong but it's kinda somewhere between buffallo and Kikuyu, darker green like bufallo but pointy tips like Kikuyu.

Chris B
21-10-2020, 08:01 AM
Is it just me or do many ppl think they have buffalo when it's really Kikuyu?

ian
21-10-2020, 01:05 PM
Is it just me or do many ppl think they have buffalo when it's really Kikuyu?

it's not just you most people have no idea what they have, around here most have weeds or Kikuyu and weeds :) and so many of them want it mown lower so all they will have is weeds anyway :)

GardeningSolutions
22-10-2020, 05:48 AM
Its amazing how many contractors don't know what type of grass they're cutting or spraying.

NLALM
22-10-2020, 03:35 PM
Its amazing how many contractors don't know what type of grass they're cutting or spraying.

Yep I said that years ago, But they still like to call themselves professionals

Redeye
22-10-2020, 06:44 PM
Yep I said that years ago, But they still like to call themselves professionals

Yep, always going to attract cowboys

33293
23-10-2020, 05:18 PM
Buffalo is usually darker green and has a rounded tip. Kikuyu grows faster, has a pointy tip and far more shoots off the runners, you'll see it grow up the insolation on power poles, it's way more likely to breach borders and take off while buffallo is usually a slow grower with the occasional season that goes off.

This is a nice tip. There's plenty of this stuff around us.

Chris B
24-10-2020, 12:18 PM
it's not just you most people have no idea what they have, around here most have weeds or Kikuyu and weeds :) and so many of them want it mown lower so all they will have is weeds anyway :)
yep kikuyu and weeds ... especially clover atm :)

Andy B
24-10-2020, 09:37 PM
Is it just me or do many ppl think they have buffalo when it's really Kikuyu?

Most people (home owners) around here will say they think they have couch but 9/10 of them have kikuyu. Ian is right they mostly have weeds and kikuyu naturally around here, and if low the ratio becomes 9/10 weeds.