[highhorse]

hi

we hav just taken on some land and it has tufts or clumps of this stiff upright straw/grass like weed growing in places that looks like it it spreading.

before i can attempt to control it i need to know what it is.

any ideas anyone?

:/ x

[cans]

Do you have a picture?

[shygirl]

is it on wet ground? it sounds like rushes.
if so it does only grow where its wet, in our experience.

[SallyintNorth]

A picture would help, but I'd hazard a guess that it's molinia - moor grass - and that certainly does spread, will take over if not grazed or topped.

They used to make forage from it, apparently, but up on the moors hereabouts the tussocks are now so huge - literally solid to knee-height - you've no chance of getting haymaking equipment to run across it.

They're reintroducing native breed cattle to graze the moors (from which they previously excluded cattle  ) as they will eat the new growth - which at least will halt its progress.

Pictures please!

[highhorse]

pictures :-)

[bloomer]

those are the rushes described above...

[highhorse]

:-)

[highhorse]

any advice on how to get rid/manage.

its growin on well drained as well as wet areas

xx

[SallyintNorth]

Top in the growing season, then weed wipe the new shoots as they start to sprout. 

Repeat every year.  Twice if possible.

Cattle and sheep will also graze young shoots, so if you don't want to use chemicals, you can gain some improvement by topping and then stocking heavily for a few weeks.

However.. don't go removing all (as if you could  ) - they provide very valuable shelter for lambs and grown sheep and calves too, they use water so actually help to manage the wet in very wet ground, and they are also important to wildlife.  So manage but don't eradicate.

[highhorse]

Top in the growing season, then weed wipe the new shoots as they start to sprout. 

Repeat every year.  Twice if possible.

Cattle and sheep will also graze young shoots, so if you don't want to use chemicals, you can gain some improvement by topping and then stocking heavily for a few weeks.

However.. don't go removing all (as if you could  ) - they provide very valuable shelter for lambs and grown sheep and calves too, they use water so actually help to manage the wet in very wet ground, and they are also important to wildlife.  So manage but don't eradicate.

by weed wipe you mean spray with weed killer, if so do you know what in particular?

:-)

[jaykay]

Seaves. Juncus rushes.

Long view - Keep cutting them. Improve the drainage.
Shorter view - as Sally says, cut them, and then weedwipe the new growth.

Weedwiping uses a bar with holes in, out of which comes the weedkiller at a slow drip, that brushes the tops of the seaves with weedkiller, whilst not getting it on any of the surrounding foliage. You use a translocating weed killer like Roundup (glyphosate), so it goes down to the rhizomes too.  The purpose of weed wiping is to only treat the seaves, cos the roundup will kill anything it touches. It only works on the new growth, the old stuff is too woody for it to penetrate.

I've got to do mine this summer. I will beg, borrow or hire a tank and bar for the back of the quadbike.

[FiB]

My friend has eliminated from his field by topping a couple of times a year... Took three years. I scythe them as close to ground as poss and they are definitely recedingreceding

[midtown]

As has already been suggested, keep topping them and/or top and wipe with glyphosate.
Identify any drainage problems.
Might also be worthwhile checking the ph of the land in question. Could well be the soil is too acidic and would benefit from a lime application.

Bear in mind at this time of the year, those tussocks may contain the nests of ground nesting birds.

[highhorse]

thanks guys. as per your advice im going to try and cut the shorter ones (that the animals have already chewed a bit and where there are no birds)  and then spot spray (as cant weed wipe). i will do it twice a year and see what happens!

will normal roundup work?

x :-)

[Young Ed]

do you have a topper mower or similar? or even a strimmer will do to keep them DOWN at least
Cheers Ed