Boarders plants to keep out running grasses (kikuyu, couch)

[Phantom Brains]

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone has had great success with keeping Kikuyu and couch running grasses out of garden beds. To explain more clearly, I totally am all for cardboard and understand how it smothers well, but sometimes around the boarders, its hard to use it for this purpose on established gardens.

From what ive tried and observed in the past year, large logs, concrete bricks, timber edging(at least 20cm high) do a pretty good job of it, if they are dug below soil level say at least 10cm min.

Ive come up Lebanese cress, thyme, comfrey, lemon grass as a start.
Can anyone say they have been able to use these plants with success and others I may have not mentioned which could make an impact as a barrier.
This is for an urban property with fairly hard clay soils.

[eco4560]

The traditional permaculture edge guild is - comfrey, a dense clumping grass (lemon grass or vetiver or sugar cane etc), and a rhizome plant (arrowroot, gingers, galangal). A combination of shade and a solid wall of roots / corms is what does the job. I have comfrey, lemon grass and arrowroot here in Qld and it stops the neighbours grass from getting in, and gives me chop and drop mulch for the garden.

[Phantom Brains]

Thanks eco4560,

I am designing a child friendly garden for a old lady so her grandkids can run around, so I may have to pass on lemon grass with its sharp leaves in the boarders at least. I havent tried using vetiver before, although I heard about its great silt and water run-off stopping capabilities. I will read up more on vetiver. As this is a small urban garden, sugar cane may be too large, but thanks for that idea.
Yes I also have galangal in my yard im growing for the first time, its doing very well. May have to propagate that and use it, same with the arrow root.

Thanks for your help on my question..

Cheers

Phantom brains

[eco4560]

Grand Kids + sugar cane to suck = a lot of fun though. If you chop it back regularly - which you should do as it is great mulch - it won't get away from you.

[matto]

We have a post at http://forums.permaculture.org.au/ar.../t-11122.html?
Fromwhat I have heard but not tried is buckwheat and sunflowers...

[Dzionik]

Melissa will stop almost all, early green leafs, oregano also. Evergreen are better but they need more time to grow, lavender, rosemary, curry plant ...

[Phantom Brains]

Hello again, thanks for the input to all, im not 100% sure how well the sugar cane would do in Melbourne climate, I will leave that to the Queenslanders for the sake of the climate.

Im in Melbourne so I will start to establish a mix of Tansy, Yarrow, Galangal, Arrowroot, Comfrey, Lebanese cress, Valerian, Borage, Curry plants, Lemon balm and sweet woodruff planted randomly and see how it all grows.

Havent tried growing borage or valerian before but will see.

Cheers all...

[Michaelangelica]

Kikuyu is a very rampant grass, a bane to gardens and garden beds A goat or maybe a chook tractor might be a good start, but "eternal vigilance" is needed!
This link might be helpful
http://www.organicpathways.co.nz/bus...story/400.html

[eco4560]

Borage is really easy (at least up here it is). Is self seeds readily. Teach the kids that they can eat the flowers - borage for courage!

[Phantom Brains]

OK cheers again...
No chooks unfortunately wanted by the client, they would be great other wise

Thanks all..