User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
|
Posted: 3/15/2017 2:23:33 PM EDT
[#1]
Johnson grass is TOUGH to get rid of. Plowing will not do it; that will worsen the problem. Johnson grass has a root rhizome that is very proliferous. By tilling the field you will chop-up and spread that rhizome and you will end up with 20 times the amount of Johnson grass.
If you plan to graze cattle Johnson grass is actually a good forage; that is why it was brought here. Unfortunately, it is an invasive species that is VERY hard to control, therefore I wouldn't give it the chance. Kill it with fire ASAP; AKA, talk to a local agronomist and see what their recommendation is. It depends on when you want to do it, what plants are currently in the pasture etc. Unfortunately, Roundup is the most likely option for control. You may have to hit it with a cocktail of chemicals otherwise you'll end up with everything else dead and Johnson grass flourishing in your now barren pasture. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/15/2017 2:34:48 PM EDT
[#2]
Johnson grass can be a pain. I have it here and it takes over in some places. You can use it for hay, but I've heard contradictory things about it. A farmer down the road round bales it. Someone else told me it will kill livestock if eaten a certain way. IIRC, he said after it starts turning brown it produces some kind of acid that's toxic. But if cut while green its ok. I really don't know if that's true, but it might be worth looking into.
My horse will eat it if its mixed with regular hay, or she will eat it green if she has already eaten everything else in the field first. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/15/2017 2:56:38 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Johnson grass is TOUGH to get rid of. Plowing will not do it; that will worsen the problem. Johnson grass has a root rhizome that is very proliferous. By tilling the field you will chop-up and spread that rhizome and you will end up with 20 times the amount of Johnson grass. If you plan to graze cattle Johnson grass is actually a good forage; that is why it was brought here. Unfortunately, it is an invasive species that is VERY hard to control, therefore I wouldn't give it the chance. Kill it with fire ASAP; AKA, talk to a local agronomist and see what their recommendation is. It depends on when you want to do it, what plants are currently in the pasture etc. Unfortunately, Roundup is the most likely option for control. You may have to hit it with a cocktail of chemicals otherwise you'll end up with everything else dead and Johnson grass flourishing in your now barren pasture. This is truth. Yes, cattle will eat Johnsongrass. In my experience, offered more traditional pasture, they do not choose the Johnsongrass first. YMMV on that of course. Pasture or not, though it's so invasive, I take a "Nuke It From Orbit" stance. That said, where I live (in the middle of grain country) we have Roundup Ready Johnsongrass. (If you're unfamiliar, that means you can spray hell out of it and it will not die.) So if you have that, the cocktail is likely to be necessary. I will tell you this. If you're going to spray, do it when the grass is young and green. Don't wait until it's big, because it gets tough as hell and all you'll do it stun it a little. Maybe just piss it off. Kind of like me hitting Mike Tison in the face. Even if the upper foliage turns brown, you'll knock it back and do a fist pump, but that root won't even blink an eye. It'll come right back. It's one of the worst invasive species to ever hit this country. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/16/2017 12:44:44 PM EDT
[#4]
Thanks everyone.
To make life easier, should I round up this spring when it starts to grow and then hit it again for anything that didn't die later in the season...and then start plant this fall? Hate to put it off but it sounds like there isn't much of an option. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/16/2017 2:03:39 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Thanks everyone. To make life easier, should I round up this spring when it starts to grow and then hit it again for anything that didn't die later in the season...and then start plant this fall? Hate to put it off but it sounds like there isn't much of an option. The only alternative is to plant a broadleaf ground cover, then overspray with a grass killer that won't hurt the broadleaf plants. That's probably not a good option for you if you're wanting pasture grass. You can also spray two or three times in a row (as sprouting re-occurs) to kill, then plant mid-season. You will still likely have to spot treat with the cocktail over the next season or three. You never get it all. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/16/2017 2:08:21 PM EDT
[#6]
Also, understanding about the "young and green" will help you.
Don't put off the spraying, even if it's not all up yet. Spray it, then spray again when more comes up. When the plant is young and green it's very chemically active. Meaning all sorts of "uptake" is going on at a very fast rate. That makes the systemic kill much more effective. If you let it get high, and mow it down for ease of spraying, the plant gets tougher. At least I think this is true for Johnsongrass... "Young and green" will serve you. Actually there is likely an optimum growth point to spray Johnsongrass for most effective root kill. Let me see if i can find something. With what you have to do, a little knowledge might go a long way. Stand by. Here are a couple of links: The first one is useful even though it's about preservation of natural plant communities, which is not your ultimate purpose. Under "recommended practices" it says, "Best results are obtained when glyphosate is applied to plants that are 18 inches tall to early flowering stage." Johnsongrass control This is a good one that will help you understand the godawful plant. This one and the last one give you an integrated approach that will probably be the quickest for you, but some of the stuff in these links may require a license. If you don't have one, farmers around you might help. Nearly everybody is glad to see the stuff gone. spawn from hell Another integrated approach |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/17/2017 12:36:02 PM EDT
[#7]
Sodium chlorate is what you seek.
A granular non-selective herbicide that will kill whatever you put it on. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/17/2017 10:38:41 PM EDT
[#8]
If you can build a pig pen around it and give hogs time they will kill it. But other than that I don't know of anything that will kill it that will let other grass grow back. Mow and spray spray and mow. That's the best advice I can give you. Roundup with TVC seems to work the best here.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/20/2017 9:16:33 PM EDT
[#9]
Best solution in my opinion is to put that 12 acres in soybeans this year. This will give you the opportunity to spray the johnson grass with roundup, while still having a chance to have a living cover that will net you some income.
Ask the farmers in the family if they will spray/plant it for you. Since they are doing you a favor, I would ask for just a small amount of rent. Say, $100 an acre and they should be able to make a profit while doing you a service. You will need to keep after the field boundaries with a backpack sprayer or the johnson grass will survive there and creep back in very quickly. That is a tough weed and you will probably always have a problem with it unless you are really active about getting it killed on field boundaries and in fence rows. You need to spray it small but it needs to be over a certain temperature or the plant will not actively take it up. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/20/2017 9:22:04 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Sodium chlorate is what you seek. A granular non-selective herbicide that will kill whatever you put it on. And needlessly toxic compared to roundup. Also will not allow for a living cover to be planted and help choke out late sprouting weeds. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/20/2017 10:31:54 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Best solution in my opinion is to put that 12 acres in soybeans this year. This will give you the opportunity to spray the johnson grass with roundup, while still having a chance to have a living cover that will net you some income. Ask the farmers in the family if they will spray/plant it for you. Since they are doing you a favor, I would ask for just a small amount of rent. Say, $100 an acre and they should be able to make a profit while doing you a service. You will need to keep after the field boundaries with a backpack sprayer or the johnson grass will survive there and creep back in very quickly. That is a tough weed and you will probably always have a problem with it unless you are really active about getting it killed on field boundaries and in fence rows. You need to spray it small but it needs to be over a certain temperature or the plant will not actively take it up. I'd plant it to corn or beans and let those crops shade it out (along with chemical treatments) for a couple years and then plant a desirable pasture or hay mix. For fence rows. Krovar and Oust mix will kill everything for the year. Viewpoint and EsplanAde mix do as well. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/20/2017 10:34:52 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If you can build a pig pen around it and give hogs time they will kill it. But other than that I don't know of anything that will kill it that will let other grass grow back. Mow and spray spray and mow. That's the best advice I can give you. Roundup with TVC seems to work the best here. The problem is the 'hard seed' Johnsongrass that will come up as well. If he plants Roundup Ready soybeans, he can spray again. When the beans have canopied and kill late emerging grass with chemical and then shade. Interesting side note.... Persistant, repeated tillage is a good way to kill plants that grow from a rhizome. Make them exhaust their stores re-growing. It isn't cost effective though. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/20/2017 10:40:14 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
You can spray roundup, seed grass, and the new grass will come up fine. Roundup has no soil activity. The problem is the 'hard seed' Johnsongrass that will come up as well. If he plants Roundup Ready soybeans, he can spray again. When the beans have canopied and kill late emerging grass with chemical and then shade. Interesting side note.... Persistant, repeated tillage is a good way to kill plants that grow from a rhizome. Make them exhaust their stores re-growing. It isn't cost effective though. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/22/2017 9:22:31 AM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
You can spray roundup, seed grass, and the new grass will come up fine. Roundup has no soil activity. The problem is the 'hard seed' Johnsongrass that will come up as well. If he plants Roundup Ready soybeans, he can spray again. When the beans have canopied and kill late emerging grass with chemical and then shade. Interesting side note.... Persistant, repeated tillage is a good way to kill plants that grow from a rhizome. Make them exhaust their stores re-growing. It isn't cost effective though. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
If you can build a pig pen around it and give hogs time they will kill it. But other than that I don't know of anything that will kill it that will let other grass grow back. Mow and spray spray and mow. That's the best advice I can give you. Roundup with TVC seems to work the best here. The problem is the 'hard seed' Johnsongrass that will come up as well. If he plants Roundup Ready soybeans, he can spray again. When the beans have canopied and kill late emerging grass with chemical and then shade. Interesting side note.... Persistant, repeated tillage is a good way to kill plants that grow from a rhizome. Make them exhaust their stores re-growing. It isn't cost effective though. The TVC additive helps here tremendously but you have to keep after it. The reason hogs are so good is they love the rhizomes and fresh shoots. Roundup is not nearly as bad for the soil as the arsenic based selective herbicides they use on the golf courses. Like the MSMA. http://extension.psu.edu/pests/weeds/control/johnsongrass-and-shattercane-control-an-integrated-approach Good luck |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/24/2017 8:27:07 PM EDT
[#15]
Man, thanks for all the advice everyone. I'm going to discuss options with family tomorrow. It's going to suck but it will be worth it to get it beat back and get some good grass growing. I'd like to start tractoring chickens next year. So I'm hoping to be able to get something planted this fall.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/2/2017 2:01:59 AM EDT
[#16]
Another thing you have to be aware of is that tiling/mowing Johnson grass will leave bits/pieces of rhizomes and seed on your equipment, and driving from one field to the next will help to disperse it.
You know what happens next. And under stressful conditions - J/G can/will produce prussic acid which can be fatal to livestock. |
|
|
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.
