problems with rushes

vcsggl

I'd very much welcome some advice. I'm slowly trying to get my grandfather's small farm back into decent shape - 20 acres of good land in Co. Monaghan. The land used to be in very good shape and was very productive with great crops of barley, spuds, peas, carrots etc. For the last 20 years it's been grazed by cattle and I'm afraid my "tenant" doesn't look after the land too well. Several of the fields are now almost completely covered with rushes and I'd dearly like to be rid of them and get some decent grass back. How do I start to be rid of the rushes? I'm a bit of an absentee landlord but with retirement coming up in a couple of months I'll be able to spend a lot more time at the place and get some serious work organised. It's a terrible shame to see what was such fertile and productive land going to ruin.

All advice very welcome

George

reilig

vcsggl wrote: »

I'd very much welcome some advice. I'm slowly trying to get my grandfather's small farm back into decent shape - 20 acres of good land in Co. Monaghan. The land used to be in very good shape and was very productive with great crops of barley, spuds, peas, carrots etc. For the last 20 years it's been grazed by cattle and I'm afraid my "tenant" doesn't look after the land too well. Several of the fields are now almost completely covered with rushes and I'd dearly like to be rid of them and get some decent grass back. How do I start to be rid of the rushes? I'm a bit of an absentee landlord but with retirement coming up in a couple of months I'll be able to spend a lot more time at the place and get some serious work organised. It's a terrible shame to see what was such fertile and productive land going to ruin.

All advice very welcome

George

Hi George,

Rushes grow in 2 types of soil, the first is simply poor soil, and you cannot do a lot to get rid of these rushes except spray and top them on a continual (every 2 to 3 years). The second soil type is soil that has been neglected, tramped a lot by cattle and had water sitting in cattle tracks for periods of time. You say that there were once crops growing in your land, and I'll bet that it was rush free at this time. There are 2 things that you can do - spray continually as above or aerate the soil. The best way to do this is to reseed a few acres of your land every year. By reseeding, you will till the land, loosen the soil and allow air through it. This will help to improve the quality of the soil and you will have no rushes growing.

There is a post below this about reseeding.

Other people will tell you that spraying is your only option, but reseeding and aerating land gets to the root of the problem.

Kind Regards

Dan

vcsggl

Thanks Dan

You're absolutely right - there were never any rushes growing on the land when it was cultivated and looked after - so the problem is not poor soil, it's good deep soil. The biggest field of all is a sloping hillside of about 5 acres that goes down to a loch and I certainly remember the whole hillside being really good clean grass - whereas now it's completely covered with rushes. I'm sure that part of the problem is that there are now cattle on the land right through the winter so that it gets badly tramped with standing water on it for weeks on end. I saw the thread on reseeding - I guess I'd need to first spray and/or cut the rushes and then power harrow and reseed.

Any other advice very welcome

George

snowman707

As Dan says it is best to reseed,

not much point in spraying if the rushes if they havn't topped for sometime as you will not get a good kill . it would be best to cut them off now straight away & if going reseeding burn off the regrowth in a couple of weeks time use Roundup or a cheaper alternative is Garland ?? ( someone correct me if I am wrong mind is a blank at the moment)

you may need to apply some lime also

Good luck with you venture

irish_bob

im sceptical about how good this land is , land that was good enough to grow spuds doesnt grow rushes , end of story
rushes grow on poor land , sure if you neglect land , it will deteriorate , it will grow weeds but not rushes
rushes grow on heavy moorish land

massey woman

Best bet is to get your tenant to top the rushes as low as possible while the cattle are still grazing
After a few days row up whatever grass etc thats left and round bale the lot
Dump the bales in the corner of a field or a bog or a large hole
In this way you are controlling the seeds which are now on the rushes and in this way preventing re growth
Remember that each rush contains 60,000 seeds !!
After 4 weeks the rushes will have re grown nice soft green colour and the stems will have closed into a point rather than flat and open after cutting
Graze the after grass for two weeks and take the cattle away and get someone to lick the rushes for you with a quad and weed licker
The chemical to use is Shell D 50 ratio 10:1
Let the cattle back in after a day or two and 3 weeks later top the lot again
If as you say the ground is fertile you wont see a bundle a rushes again except in your neighbours field
As soon as October comes get the cattle off the land until it suits you again March/April
Constant poaching is the main cause of soil saturation which in turn promotes rush growth
Chain harrow and roll the land in Feb March weather permitting
Good luck with it you will see the benefits within 12 months
Costs about 30/50 per acre depending on density of rushes

vcsggl

irish_bob wrote: »

im sceptical about how good this land is , land that was good enough to grow spuds doesnt grow rushes , end of story
rushes grow on poor land , sure if you neglect land , it will deteriorate , it will grow weeds but not rushes
rushes grow on heavy moorish land

Well Bob I'm afraid that on this occasion you're wrong - the fields that are now covered in rushes had great crops of spuds, carrots peas and cabbage 30 years ago. I spent many happy hours in my school holidays picking peas and lifting spuds on ground that is now knee-high in rushes. I think that once they get a hold they smother out everything else.

George

vcsggl

massey woman wrote: »

Best bet is to get your tenant to top the rushes as low as possible while the cattle are still grazing
After a few days row up whatever grass etc thats left and round bale the lot
Dump the bales in the corner of a field or a bog or a large hole
In this way you are controlling the seeds which are now on the rushes and in this way preventing re growth
Remember that each rush contains 60,000 seeds !!
After 4 weeks the rushes will have re grown nice soft green colour and the stems will have closed into a point rather than flat and open after cutting
Graze the after grass for two weeks and take the cattle away and get someone to lick the rushes for you with a quad and weed licker
The chemical to use is Shell D 50 ratio 10:1
Let the cattle back in after a day or two and 3 weeks later top the lot again
If as you say the ground is fertile you wont see a bundle a rushes again except in your neighbours field
As soon as October comes get the cattle off the land until it suits you again March/April
Constant poaching is the main cause of soil saturation which in turn promotes rush growth
Chain harrow and roll the land in Feb March weather permitting
Good luck with it you will see the benefits within 12 months
Costs about 30/50 per acre depending on density of rushes

That's very helpful advice - I'll try to get things moving along these lines. I've got someone topping all the rushes next week so things are starting to move!

George

kerryman12

Just to add a small bit to the good advise from massey woman. We have been licking a few fields for the past few years that got heavily poached some time ago. We always add a bit of washing up liquid to the mix as it hreps the chemicals to stick. The thing with licking it that is it almost a yearly thing and it only gets the bushall in the direction of travel. The rush on the other side never really gets covered by the chemicals.
If you go down the reseeding road maybe you should think about ploughing. Turning the rush over with the sod will make a big differance in killing them off.
You should top before you spray etc as MW suggest it is easier to kill off the weaker rush that will regrow.

Sam Kade

massey woman wrote: »

Best bet is to get your tenant to top the rushes as low as possible while the cattle are still grazing
After a few days row up whatever grass etc thats left and round bale the lot
Dump the bales in the corner of a field or a bog or a large hole
In this way you are controlling the seeds which are now on the rushes and in this way preventing re growth
Remember that each rush contains 60,000 seeds !!
After 4 weeks the rushes will have re grown nice soft green colour and the stems will have closed into a point rather than flat and open after cutting
Graze the after grass for two weeks and take the cattle away and get someone to lick the rushes for you with a quad and weed licker
The chemical to use is Shell D 50 ratio 10:1
Let the cattle back in after a day or two and 3 weeks later top the lot again
If as you say the ground is fertile you wont see a bundle a rushes again except in your neighbours field
As soon as October comes get the cattle off the land until it suits you again March/April
Constant poaching is the main cause of soil saturation which in turn promotes rush growth
Chain harrow and roll the land in Feb March weather permitting
Good luck with it you will see the benefits within 12 months
Costs about 30/50 per acre depending on density of rushes

Good advice Massey woman only problem is that you can't dump anything now whether the corner of a field a hole in the ground or a bog. If the tennant gets a cross compliance inspection he'll have some explaining about the bales of rushe's dumped.

snowman707

Sam Kade wrote: »

Good advice Massey woman only problem is that you can't dump anything now whether the corner of a field a hole in the ground or a bog. If the tennant gets a cross compliance inspection he'll have some explaining about the bales of rushe's dumped.

We store some round bales in the corner of a field on an out farm, for drawing home during the winter months when we have a lot more free time on our hands.

My planner has this area marked on both our area aid & reps. application. & the area even though quite small is noted.

il gatto

If the weather is good for a week, let them dry, heap them up and burn them.
By the way, does anyone know about spraying as opposed to licking rushes? What chem to use and what affects could it have on other grasses, clover etc. I have a sprayer but no licker so I'd like to do it myself. I know some of the chems for docks kill clover in the sward as well. Rather avoid that.

Sam Kade

snowman707 wrote: »

We store some round bales in the corner of a field on an out farm, for drawing home during the winter months when we have a lot more free time on our hands.

My planner has this area marked on both our area aid & reps. application. & the area even though quite small is noted.

Thats different your stacking the bales for feeding Massey woman is talking about dumping bales to rot also burning them is illegal plus the danger of someone calling the fire brigade you could be fined and have a bill for the fire brigade.

Sam Kade

il gatto wrote: »

If the weather is good for a week, let them dry, heap them up and burn them.
By the way, does anyone know about spraying as opposed to licking rushes? What chem to use and what affects could it have on other grasses, clover etc. I have a sprayer but no licker so I'd like to do it myself. I know some of the chems for docks kill clover in the sward as well. Rather avoid that.

A weed wiper is better for rushes as the weedkiller hits the rushes only. Spraying them will make the ground wetter leading to more rushes.

vcsggl

Sam Kade wrote: »

Thats different your stacking the bales for feeding Massey woman is talking about dumping bales to rot also burning them is illegal plus the danger of someone calling the fire brigade you could be fined and have a bill for the fire brigade.

Sam - when you say it is illegal to burn them - do you mean that you can no longer burn this sort of waste in the country? What about hedge cuttings etc - surely that sort of stuff can be burnt can't it? It does seem to me that there's an awful lot of legislation in this country now that seems to make normal country life more and more difficult!


George

kfk

I used a spray called mortone on rushes this year. Does not harm the grass. I think it is supposed to be used in may and the rushes should be cut 4 weeks later. I was told that I may need to use it for a few consecutive years and that it should clear rushes completely.

Sam Kade

vcsggl wrote: »

Sam - when you say it is illegal to burn them - do you mean that you can no longer burn this sort of waste in the country? What about hedge cuttings etc - surely that sort of stuff can be burnt can't it? It does seem to me that there's an awful lot of legislation in this country now that seems to make normal country life more and more difficult!


George

The only thing that is legal to burn is timber as far as I know. I suppose that would include hedge cuttings.

il gatto

I thought untreated timber was o.k. to burn? As far as I know (knew) you could burn rushes after Sept. Ist up until spring. Although there is different legislation for burning vegetation which is growing (rushes, gorse, heather etc.) as opposed to cut and died vegetation. Not sure which is which.
Why the hell can't they make these things simple and make access to the info easy? The Teagasc website doesn't tell you much:(

massey woman

Well guys any wonder the Lisbon treaty was rejected
Basically you can burn nothing on your farm
Unless of course it happens at night and you know nothing about it
If however the firebrigade appears you will be gettting a bill in the region of €1200 for starters and thereafter a raft of investigators in the yellow van
For centuries us farmers and our forefathers have tilled and minded this earth with confidence providing safe food for our families and quality produce for export
We got and gave advice from our peers and neighbours where necessary
This advice was based on rock solid experience of countless generations
Typical of the replies to this 'Rushes' query where very accurate and worthwhile advice has been provided to all and sundry FOC
I understand that from next year Mortone along with many other chemicals will not be available so the rushes and gorse will return with a passion
One could be forgiven for believing that this decision along with countless others is
part of an overall plan to rid rural Ireland of particularly small farmers and communities
I know the right thing to do is to pile up all the rushes into a heap and burn them
The consequences of this would be small in comparison to the fall out from the unfortunate blaze in Waterford this week.
Now we have another referendum to look forward to

Sam Kade

I checked the county council website about burning on farms, they gave a link to REPS 3 handbook. I checked my REPS 3 handbook it said that growing vegetation cannot be burned between 31st march and 31st of august that includes spoiled hay. So I presume that you can burn rushes outside those dates. Come to think of it I done a REPS course last year and they advised us that if we were burning hedge cuttings to ring the local fire station beforehand and tell them before you start burning. That would cover you if someone rings them about a fire on your farm. As for all the regulations when they stop people cutting turf they can stop people doing anything.

massey woman

Sam
What if your not in REPS

Sam Kade

massey woman wrote: »

Sam
What if your not in REPS

* Where farmers are burning scrub/vegetation, they must in all cases inform the fire service at least one day before burning, giving the location, time and duration of burning. The Fire Service has given guidance on "Precautions to be taken when burning gorse, heather and grass" (see attached).

It is illegal to burn any vegetation between 1st March and 31st August (bird nesting season). Where farmers are burning within one mile of a woodland or Nature Reserve, they must inform the Gardaí and woodland owner at least one week in advance. Where burning is to take place within a Special Area of Conservation or Natural Heritage Area, written consent must be sought in advance from the National Parks and Wildlife Service. If burning waste creates environmental damage, nuisance or gives rise to pollution, the advice is: do not burn. If in doubt, contact the Environment Section, Clare County Council on (065) 6846331. Thi

This is what is on the councils website
http /www.clarecoco.ie/Environment/Burning_of_Waste.html#question

The same applies to all farmers wether in REPS or not.

massey woman

Has anyone a cure for spratt
The short rush with a blossom of seed on the side
Not the soft rush or wire rush we have been talking about above
Seems immune to the Licker
Cattle will graze it but it looks awful in a meadow
Hard to rear in hay too

lanod2407

Guys & Gals,

Sprayed Agroxone 50 last week on about 9 acres to kill off rushes - got a dry spell for almost 20 hours - hoping it'll be ok.
Any idea how long it should take to see an impact? Will the rushes die off or do I need to get the field topped again shortly?


PS - & What the hell is "licking"??? thought I was on the wrong site there for a minute??!!! :P

massey woman

Licking is another form of spraying except much more economical and selective
Instead of the chemical being dispersed by a mist or a spray it is applied onto a revolving circular carpet which rubs against the rush and sticks the chemical to the rush
This method is a lot cheaper as it uses only a fraction of the chemical
Also the licker can be set so that only the rushes are hit at a specific height off the ground
By spraying you spray everything including clovers grasses and herbs with gay abandon
You will see within a week that the rush will become brown and when you pull it up outa the ground the bottom will be brown and hard
Top the rushes 3 weeks after spraying and grazing
Good luck
Look up weedwiper on google for more info
Graet machine

snowman707

[quote=massey woman;56800062
You will see within a week that the rush will become brown and when you pull it up outa the ground the bottom will be brown and hard
Top the rushes 3 weeks after spraying and grazing
Good luck
Look up weedwiper on google for more info
Graet machine[/quote]



A waste of time , money & effort if the rush goes brown within a week it has died before the chemical is absorbed in the root system , you will need to spray or lick again in a year or two.

the slower the kill the longer the spray interval you should be aiming for 3-5 year intervals

massey woman

Cant agree with you
We are contract spraying and licking for the past 28 years
Licking maybe 10
Problem with rushes is that they are a symptom of poor land
Poor drainage in the soil or non hydraulic soils
Remember that the rushes have most likely been there for hundreds of years and that each rush contains up to 60,000 seed multiply this by the number of seed bearing rushes and then by the number of years and you will establich that there is a huge burden of live and vegatitive seed present
The young rushes will appear within 2 years of succesful licking and can be wiped out with one lick for a further 5 years
Rushes wont disappear over night
Licking will help but soil fertility and drainage is the cure
Tight grazing and a heavy fertilizer programme will eliminate also as cattle graze the young sweet rush
The issue with colour of rush is dependant on the chemical used
The chemical attacks the roots systemically and will brown differently
Once the base is brown amd hard thats the main thing
An ongoing process with visible results

ivanthehunter

Try salt!! and steer clear of the bad chemicals.
Salt is what older generations in the west used to use to eradicate rushes.

Its what i was told by an old man.

I doubt that the chem companies are going to tell you about any alternative to there product..

convoy

Hi Guys,
The only way to deal with rushes is spraying,I took over family farm which was neglected for years,spray with mcpa 500(50%) the 300 is (30%),1 litre/100 litre water plus I use washing up liquid to help stick.very good results.

Muckit

Thanks convoy. Think I'I try the MCPA. I mole ploughed our problem bits and it sorted the drainage problems. I've topped the rushes and think I'I chance spraying the regrowth now when it comes.;)

pakalasa

convoy wrote: »

Hi Guys,
The only way to deal with rushes is spraying,I took over family farm which was neglected for years,spray with mcpa 500(50%) the 300 is (30%),1 litre/100 litre water plus I use washing up liquid to help stick.very good results.

+1
This is what works for me too.

John-Holmes

convoy wrote: »

Hi Guys,
The only way to deal with rushes is spraying,I took over family farm which was neglected for years,spray with mcpa 500(50%) the 300 is (30%),1 litre/100 litre water plus I use washing up liquid to help stick.very good results.

It looks like we will have to do this soon since the rushes on parts of our farm are taking over altogether. Maybe this is a really simple question but when you say spray with "mcpa 500(50%) the 300 is (30%),1 litre/100 litre water" what does that mean? I know MCPA is the name of the spray but what about the % values? Is there another 20% missing or is that the water? I bet there is a real simple answer to this

Many thanks

mayo_lad

hi everyone the best way I have found to control rushes is to reseed the field
first spray the field with round-up wait 2 weeks before
you cut them down and plough a 5 meter section around the perimeter of the field .
then you can burn the rushes (this makes it easer to plough the field)
then plough and reseed as you normally would .

if it is wet ground your reseeding you will have to use a weed licker on it every 2nd year

bbam

John-Holmes wrote: »

It looks like we will have to do this soon since the rushes on parts of our farm are taking over altogether. Maybe this is a really simple question but when you say spray with "mcpa 500(50%) the 300 is (30%),1 litre/100 litre water" what does that mean? I know MCPA is the name of the spray but what about the % values? Is there another 20% missing or is that the water? I bet there is a real simple answer to this

Many thanks

Maybe I'm wrong but one spray is made from 50%MCPA and the other contains 30% MCPA as the active ingredients.. The remainder of both would be a coctail of chemicals to keep the MCPA stable during storage. ect

JOAT

snowman707 wrote: »

As Dan says it is best to reseed,

not much point in spraying if the rushes if they havn't topped for sometime as you will not get a good kill . it would be best to cut them off now straight away & if going reseeding burn off the regrowth in a couple of weeks time use Roundup or a cheaper alternative is Garland ?? ( someone correct me if I am wrong mind is a blank at the moment)

you may need to apply some lime also

Good luck with you venture

An alternative to roundup is 'Clinic'. does the exact same job as roundup just cheaper. Also if spraying off for reseeding, dont be shy with the amount of spray used. 3.5 or 4 pints per acre will do a serious job killing off the old grass and rushes. wait for approx 2 weeks and leave cattle back into sprayed ground and they will clean up any remaining grass. easier and cheaper than baling and dumping.

cj maxx

hi there, i have almost exactly the same problem with tidying up land with rushes. the lands not bad but it has had cattle tramping it plus the horrendous rain these last 3/4 years. i have got conflicting advice on when to spray, ie cut then spray or spray when mature but massey woman sounds like she is in the know. george , could you let me know what you have done and how you have fared . oh , is burning rushes illegal ??? i know we cant cut hedges/trees because of wildlife but surely burning a few heaps of rushes wont get me locked up????

Muckit

Jus to update this post. I sprayed my rushes recently with MCPA Amine 500. I also purchased what the man behind the counter called a 'sticker' (wetting agent). He did mention that some guys use washing up liquid but this 'was a waste of time'. I'm not saying he's right, alot of people on here have used wash up liquid and seem happy with results. I have never, or had to, spray rushes before so have no experience. But for an extra €15, I wasn't going to be 'a penny wise and a pound foolish', especially with rain immenent I really wanted the MCPA to stick!

Used our trusty hardi 44 gal (220L) sprayer, small but does the job! Seeing as this size sprayer would be popular with other small stock farmers like myself, here's what I did......(not saying it's right:D)

I half filled tank, Added 2L of MCPA and 200ml of wetting agent to tank, agitated and topped up water. I had topped one half of the rushes some weeks ago and left the other, just as an experimnent to see which gives a better kill (old rush or new growth).

There was nothing on MCPA leaflet to say how long to keep stock off it, but it'I be a week before I'm letting cattle into it. I'I graze it tight and top it again straight after.

As stated in my last post, this is a field that I mole ploughed in spring, so drainage problem sorted. I'd be hoping for a good kill. Will post again when/if I see results:rolleyes:

Shauny2010

Muckit wrote: »

Jus to update this post. I sprayed my rushes recently with MCPA Amine 500. I also purchased what the man behind the counter called a 'sticker' (wetting agent). He did mention that some guys use washing up liquid but this 'was a waste of time'. I'm not saying he's right, alot of people on here have used wash up liquid and seem happy with results. I have never, or had to, spray rushes before so have no experience. But for an extra €15, I wasn't going to be 'a penny wise and a pound foolish', especially with rain immenent I really wanted the MCPA to stick!

Used our trusty hardi 44 gal (220L) sprayer, small but does the job! Seeing as this size sprayer would be popular with other small stock farmers like myself, here's what I did......(not saying it's right:D)

I half filled tank, Added 2L of MCPA and 200ml of wetting agent to tank, agitated and topped up water. I had topped one half of the rushes some weeks ago and left the other, just as an experimnent to see which gives a better kill (old rush or new growth).

There was nothing on MCPA leaflet to say how long to keep stock off it, but it'I be a week before I'm letting cattle into it. I'I graze it tight and top it again straight after.

As stated in my last post, this is a field that I mole ploughed in spring, so drainage problem sorted. I'd be hoping for a good kill. Will post again when/if I see results:rolleyes:

Hi Muckit, Tell me this was it MCPA 50 you used ? I`m going to spray some rushes myself. I tried to get MCPA but the local Hardware store didnt have it but tried to sell me Mortone instead. I ve seen the results from mortone and didnt like the way it stunted the grass as well.
The MCPA 500 is availible from http://www.magentadirect.ie for €48.00, is this the stuff and is this about the right price ?

pakalasa

"MCPA Amine 500" cost me €45 for 10L container in the Dairygold Stores, just this week.

I sprayed it in Knapsack at 0.5Lt per 15Lt of water, so 30 to 1 ratio. This works fine for me.


Your ratio of about 100:1 is probably OK too as you're boom spraying.

Min

Rushes grow on wet ground, there were rushes growing in places never seen before after the really wet year of 2009 but then the dry weather killed them off as the ground returned to normal.

Wet ground grows rushes but sometimes it is just wet from drains not being fixed rather than the soil/ground itself being the issue.

Muckit

Hi shauny2010

Ya it's 'MCPA Amine 500', prob same stuff you are on about. Bought it for €45, spent €15 on a 'wetting agent' or 'sticker' too (don't know exact brand name of it off hand, comes in 1L white bottle with a black cap). This helps the MCPA stick to the rush (apparently) and you get a better kill. Some lads use washing up liquid instead, never used it for this purpose so I couldn't vouch for it.

I think we're a little late for spraying (going by what I've read on instructions April-June is the ideal) but I'm hoping it'I do a good job and it should for you too hopefully.

Pakalasa you know it does say in instructions not to apply with a knapsack!! Then again, I suppose I didn't exactly follow instructions either regarding dates!:rolleyes:

Min I wouldn't agree with you about what you say about rushes dying off themselves once the weather takes up. There's always going to be dampness, it is Ireland after all! And enough to keep the rushes growing once they are established :rolleyes:

Min

Muckit wrote: »

Min I wouldn't agree with you about what you say about rushes dying off themselves once the weather takes up. There's always going to be dampness, it is Ireland after all! And enough to keep the rushes growing once they are established :rolleyes:

I have dry land but it was so wet last year that some rushes did appear, not much appeared in fields where there was never any, they did die out but it was due to the normal to dry weather, rather than the exceptionally wet weather which allowed they to grow in the first place.

We had problems around here with the land burning up as rainfall levels had been exceptionally low, thank God we had rain this month but the rushes that appeared last year died out.
Speaking to a neighbour and they had a similar experience. It was just all the wet weather last year that allowed some to appear. I'm not talking about large scale appearance, they never had a chance to get established.

Muckit

Min, I see your from Kilkenny! No wonder ye've little or no rushes over there, sure ye've the best of land!!

You should have a look at some of the land we're trying to 'farm' over here in the 'wet weeeest'!!:D

Muckit

btw for those thinking of enquiring about or getting it, 'activator 90' is the name of the additive I used to help the MCPA stick to rushes;)

And there is a white cap not a black one (as I incorrectly said previously) on the container

blue5000

If anybody is using wash up liquid put in a small bit (capfull of container) of diesel into the sprayer before the wash up liquid to stop the sprayer filling up with foam.

mondeoman1708

Sam Kade wrote: »

Good advice Massey woman only problem is that you can't dump anything now whether the corner of a field a hole in the ground or a bog. If the tennant gets a cross compliance inspection he'll have some explaining about the bales of rushe's dumped.

The bog or hole should already be marked off the land!!

mondeoman1708

vcsggl wrote: »

That's very helpful advice - I'll try to get things moving along these lines. I've got someone topping all the rushes next week so things are starting to move!

George

Any MCPA chemical will also work well, excellent advice

mondeoman1708

Sam Kade wrote: »

A weed wiper is better for rushes as the weedkiller hits the rushes only. Spraying them will make the ground wetter leading to more rushes.

spraying rushes, you are only using at most 200 gal of water per acre, an inch of rain would be 22000 gals of water per acre, I hardly think the spraying will wet the ground too much!

convoy

Hi,
just to clarify the mcpa comes in 2 % levels(maybe More)50% and 30%,the reason I recommended the 50%. it was the strongest concentrate.alot of people use the weaker(ie 30%) and dont get good results,
plus if you put diesel in as a sticking agent it will damage pump on machine,washing-up-liquid wont as far as I know

exercise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBbOMdKiKZM

Muckit

convoy wrote: »

if you put diesel in as a sticking agent it will damage pump on machine,washing-up-liquid wont as far as I know

BUY a sticking agent. It's specifically made for the job. These 'quick fix' alternatives don't do as good a job and only cause more harm than good to applicator