Wet November - great for kike, and Barbers Pole

At the time of writing (29th Nov 2020), we have received 90mm of rain for November. The kikuyu is loving it and once the ryegrass has been trampled on, it exposes the kikuyu to the sunlight. We are likely to be quite green here until Christmas. More rain is forecast tonight and tomorrow. The photos below show the kikuyu after grazing or when the ryegrass has been trampled on.

We've been flat out making sure all sheep are drenched to combat the severe risk of barbers pole problems caused by the frequent rains and green grass.

This is looking across Sierra paddock. A previous blog showed the dead sand seam when the ryegrass died from a 3-week dry spell in October. However, it has greened up again as the kikuyu starts poking through the dead ryegrass.

This is Bravo paddock a few days after ~2,000 ewes and lambs came into it. They have trampled the dying ryegrass exposing the kikuyu underneath.

Entrance yard in the foreground, Alpha paddock the brown strip that the sheep were recently in, and are now in Bravo paddock (the paddock behind the brown strip). In the distance, the brown is grazed areas of Romeo 6 and Echo paddocks - deceptive as they have a green lawn of kikuyu underneath.

One of the joys of hairsheep. They always need a rub.

Bravo paddock after ~2,000 sheep have just been moved into. They have flattened the dying ryegrass and expose the green kikuyu underneath.

Further down in Bravo paddock where the ryegrass has not been flattened yet. Green kikuyu underneath.

Bravo on the left, and Alpha on the right. It looks brown on the right, but the next photo shows the grazed kikuyu underneath that will regrow rapidly.

A close up of Alpha paddock after being grazed by the sheep. All the green leaves on the ryegrass have been eaten and the grazed green kikuyu underneath will spring back with all the soil moisture.

A close up of the kikuyu in Bravo paddock. A lovely lawn and is typical across all paddocks.