Killing them Rushes..

Dazzler88

Being reading through a few posts here about our arch enemy the rush.

I have a piece of land that has very strong rushes,some around 4ft in height.I want to try and control them.What is the best way to do this.The land isn't that accessible for a tractor yet.Could I spray them with say MPCA and hope they die off,or would I be better try and cut them first?

What is your experience and what would you think is the best time of year to deal with them.

Bodacious

Dazzler88 wrote: »

Being reading through a few posts here about our arch enemy the rush.

I have a piece of land that has very strong rushes,some around 4ft in height.I want to try and control them.What is the best way to do this.The land isn't that accessible for a tractor yet.Could I spray them with say MPCA and hope they die off,or would I be better try and cut them first?

What is your experience and what would you think is the best time of year to deal with them.

I did a bit of an experiment on them myself this year and cutting them first and letting them green up for 4 weeks and go with the MCPA wins hands down as opposed to spraying strong rushes alone.

4 weeks later after spraying i grazed and topped then gran lime and 18-6-12 to encourage grass to take over... i happy with results but will always be a war with rushes in waterlogged/wet areas im afraid

6480

i have seen and done all with rushes sprayed , cut , and then ploughed and reseeded and after all that 3 years time they land back . the best cure i ve seen is either ploughing in 4 inches of mushroom compost or just sreading it or land leveling it the only way to get rid of them . i remember once cutting them tightly and spreading a heavy dose of pig slurry in hot sunny weather in june and it burnt the whole field off (like a round up job) it kept them out for 2 years but the mushroom compost is the job it also improves the soil and helps drain the top soil of a field

johngalway

Dazzler88 wrote: »

Being reading through a few posts here about our arch enemy the rush.

I have a piece of land that has very strong rushes,some around 4ft in height.I want to try and control them.What is the best way to do this.The land isn't that accessible for a tractor yet.Could I spray them with say MPCA and hope they die off,or would I be better try and cut them first?

What is your experience and what would you think is the best time of year to deal with them.

I tried a bit of an experiment this time last year, well a bit before now, just before the real cold hit, think it was mid December. Sprayed some rushes with Mortone. Nothing happened for ages. But they did mostly all die in fairness.

Best time to spray them is when they're growing strongly.

You'll probably be better off to cut them first, then spray the regrowth.

Dazzler88

Bodacious wrote: »

I did a bit of an experiment on them myself this year and cutting them first and letting them green up for 4 weeks and go with the MCPA wins hands down as opposed to spraying strong rushes alone.

4 weeks later after spraying i grazed and topped then gran lime and 18-6-12 to encourage grass to take over... i happy with results but will always be a war with rushes in waterlogged/wet areas im afraid

sound pretty good but do you think it would work with mine,they are nearly 4ft tall,could be growing well over 15 years.

reilig

+1 on the mushroom compost. Bedded cattle with it about 10 years ago. Spread it out on the field nearest the shed with transport box and levelled with land leveller. It was rushy land but hasn't grown any since.

6480 wrote: »

i have seen and done all with rushes sprayed , cut , and then ploughed and reseeded and after all that 3 years time they land back . the best cure i ve seen is either ploughing in 4 inches of mushroom compost or just sreading it or land leveling it the only way to get rid of them . i remember once cutting them tightly and spreading a heavy dose of pig slurry in hot sunny weather in june and it burnt the whole field off (like a round up job) it kept them out for 2 years but the mushroom compost is the job it also improves the soil and helps drain the top soil of a field

bbam

What are the access issues?
If the land is waterlogged then you are in for a long battle. Control rather than irradiation is the aim.

If the ground is uneven then tight cutting is a problem and spraying may be the only option.


Like others we've tried a few options.

Spraying what you have will have some effect, I've done it. If you have patience and spray again in a year you will start to see clearance.

Cutting then spraying / licking seems best but you will have alot of lying rush if they are four feet tall. Me mow with high rev and low gear to mulch them up as much as possible and it's easier on the machine too.

We've opened some drains to help but in our area and soil type we are aiming to control them.

This autumn/winter has been kind to the rushes. Really we need some dry hard weather ti stress them before treating as this works best

fodda

bbam wrote: »

Control rather than irradiation is the aim.

:eek::eek:

Jesus he's gonna Nuke em! :eek:;):D

BeeDI

Cut them first, and spray the regrowth. Ideally you would have cut them last October, and let them rot away into the ground over winter and spring. Spray regrowth in mid summer, when nice and green.
I read somewhere recently, that they are high in P&K and so are a valuable source of nutrients when cut and allowed to rot into the soil.

bbam

fodda wrote: »

:eek::eek:

Jesus he's gonna Nuke em! :eek:;):D

Ahh...
Stupid big thumbs and iPhone don't mix well.

k mac

Had the same problem this year the rushes would have been there for years and were over 4ft even though the ground was very rough cut them first with the topper and burst the gear box in it in the last bit of the field that was the roughest so that was left. Anyway sprayed the regrowth abut 4 weeks later and got a good kill, the rushes i had left that i could not top did not die as well so i think cut first and spray regrowth would be your best plan. I just left the rushes also to rot into the ground and seemed to have great grass after .

Figerty

I had the same problem before with big rushes and to save time I just sprayed them uncut. It wouldn be better if they had been cut last year, but ya are where ya are.
I spray every year where I need to; the rust seed can stay dormont for something like 40 years. One years spraying isn't going to get rid of them.
I wouldn't bother cutting the rushes now. Get out as early as possible and spray them,, In really soft ground the uncut rushes help to stop the tractor getting stuck in soft ground, Works for me!

1. Stick to the recommended application ratio, otherwise the grass will suffer.
2. Workout the acreage you have to cover. Use the old OSI maps online if you don't have them at hand
3. Work out the ground speed for the sprayer. mine is about 1.5 to 2 mph.(small sprayer); going too fast just increase the area covered with a lower dose.
4. Mark your ground so you don't miss an area or double spray an area twice or three time.
5. Wear a mask.....

I also manure with 10-10-20 shortly before or afterwards depending on conditions about 2 bags to the acre.

Give them six weeks or more and then cut; a good rotary or disc mower will blitz them small enough to rot into the ground. I did this last year and it worked out fine. In better ground I cut first and spray later, but I can't really see any great difference.

Look at drainage and other measures such as lime and not poaching the ground.

Dazzler88

Figerty wrote: »

Work out the ground speed for the sprayer. mine is about 1.5 to 2 mph.(small sprayer); going too fast just increase the area covered with a lower dose..

I would have to do mine with a quad and lick as the ground isn't suitable for a tractor.I have 4 acres in total to cover.What would the best ratio for that be?Also heard a few guys on here advising to add Fairy Liquid to help the chemical stick to the rushes.

redzerologhlen

Dazzler88 wrote: »

I would have to do mine with a quad and lick as the ground isn't suitable for a tractor.I have 4 acres in total to cover.What would the best ratio for that be?Also heard a few guys on here advising to add Fairy Liquid to help the chemical stick to the rushes.

I dont know the ratios for a licker but you would be as well off to buy a wetting agent instead of washing up liquid. Its not very dear and I think a litre does around 20 acres. I think rhino is the name of the one I used and I was buying a good bit of spray so got it thrown in for free. It will save any seals in your sprayer/licker and does the same thing. Heres a LINK to their website

johngalway

Dazzler88 wrote: »

I would have to do mine with a quad and lick as the ground isn't suitable for a tractor.I have 4 acres in total to cover.What would the best ratio for that be?Also heard a few guys on here advising to add Fairy Liquid to help the chemical stick to the rushes.

I use washing up liquid, but only because I use a lance sprayer. If you use a boom sprayer don't use washing up liquid, it'll knacker your seals.

Dazzler88

redzerologhlen wrote: »

I dont know the ratios for a licker but you would be as well off to buy a wetting agent instead of washing up liquid. Its not very dear and I think a litre does around 20 acres. I think rhino is the name of the one I used and I was buying a good bit of spray so got it thrown in for free. It will save any seals in your sprayer/licker and does the same thing. Heres a LINK to their website

did you just add it in with Mortone or was that the chemical you used to kill them?

redzerologhlen

Dazzler88 wrote: »

did you just add it in with Mortone or was that the chemical you used to kill them?

Just threw in a cap full into the sprayer with the MCPA.

FarmerBrowne

In a bid to get rid of the cursed rushes in the past we have always used Mortone but found that it does set back grass growth for a while, never used MCPA 500 but I heard that it does not affect grass growth, can anyone confirm? Thanks

redzerologhlen

FarmerBrowne wrote: »

In a bid to get rid of the cursed rushes in the past we have always used Mortone but found that it does set back grass growth for a while, never used MCPA 500 but I heard that it does not affect grass growth, can anyone confirm? Thanks

I find it sets it back a bit alright, have never used mortone though so cant compare for you.