How to remove spiky grass from rockery?

darrenheaphy · 01-05-2015 09:16PM #1

I have a large rockery with lots of lovely perennials in them. Between them and through them however I have that large spiky grass that one sees in boggy fields. They're tough to pull up, any recommendations on how to remove?

renandstimpy · 02-05-2015 12:02PM

Is it rushes your talking about ?

darrenheaphy · 02-05-2015 02:14PM

renandstimpy wrote: »

Is it rushes your talking about ?

Lol, yeah

couldn't think of the name last night

02-05-2015 10:54PM

Roundup/Gallop kills rushes the best if you can spray it on them without hitting any of the perennials. It kills everything

lottpaul · 03-05-2015 06:58AM

Rushes might also be a sign that the rockery is very wet -- is there any way of improving the drainage from it? That would solve the problem for good. Otherwise the rushes will return over time, and they're pretty robust - you'll need to be diligent with the weedkiller, if you go down that route.

Day Lewin · 03-05-2015 02:56PM

There are other plants that might be called "spiky grass" - oat-grass, scutch grass. The latter is notorious for infesting rockeries and established perennials.
And there is some small, clump-forming type that I don't know the name of, but the roots (though quite shallow) cling on like Velcro.

A photograph would help.

darrenheaphy · 04-05-2015 08:49AM

katemarch wrote: »

There are other plants that might be called "spiky grass" - oat-grass, scutch grass. The latter is notorious for infesting rockeries and established perennials.
And there is some small, clump-forming type that I don't know the name of, but the roots (though quite shallow) cling on like Velcro.

A photograph would help.

Thanks

here's a pic of the full rockery and then the grass I'm talking about. It's hard to pull that grass out, even in wet weather it's well stuck in!

lottpaul · 04-05-2015 09:13AM

Rushes mostly.

(Nice setting and like the boundary wall too.)

darrenheaphy · 04-05-2015 09:20AM

lottpaul wrote: »

Rushes mostly.

(Nice setting and like the boundary wall too.)

Thanks! Took a while to clean up that wall, am happy with it! I'd love a week off just to spend the days gardening ... Hmm, I'm getting old!

04-05-2015 09:51AM

darrenheaphy wrote: »

Thanks here's a pic of the full rockery and then the grass I'm talking about. It's hard to pull that grass out, even in wet weather it's well stuck in!

Some of the rushes are growing up through other plants so spraying is out. There is a round up gel you can get to touch plants with that you want to kill.

renandstimpy · 04-05-2015 02:52PM

I used a cotton bud and some roundup in a lid and touched what I want dead .. worked a treat

darrenheaphy · 04-05-2015 06:40PM

renandstimpy wrote: »

I used a cotton bud and some roundup in a lid and touched what I want dead .. worked a treat

Good tip! Thanks!

Paulownia · 05-05-2015 10:38AM

darrenheaphy wrote: »

I have a large rockery with lots of lovely perennials in them. Between them and through them however I have that large spiky grass that one sees in boggy fields. They're tough to pull up, any recommendations on how to remove?

There is a wonderful grass killer available on the market which kills only grass. I have used it to control grass in a plot of cyclamen. I can't remember what it is called but it would be available from agri chemical people. However that still leaves you with rushes which are a scourge that I live with in my garden too. I find that once I disturb soil thousands of dormant rush seeds spring to life.
What you have I think is scutch or couch grass.

How to remove spiky grass from rockery?

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