Removing moss and rushes

SomethingElse

Hi, the land at my homeplace has become over-run with moss and rushes. It was covered in green grass many years ago but in the last 15 years it has changed. Does anyone know a good way of getting rid of the moss/rushes? I would be looking to keep the price down as it is a small farm and not very profitable

vanderbadger

the weedlicker and some roundup is a good tool for rushes, not sure about moss. have been looking at quad sprayers on ebay, there is some stuff you can spray that wil kill rushes but not grass i think, anyone know the name of it? also anyone use a quad sprayer..any good?

pakalasa

To Kill Rushes

MCPA 500 Amine - great stuff, it won't kill the grass. I think I got the name right. Dairygold stock it. Cost about 50Euro per 10 Lts drum.

If you don't mind the work - add about 0.5Lts per 15 Lts of water in a Knapsack sprayer and away you go. Spray early on a fine day for best results. Will have dried in by the time the dew comes around. Some people add a little washing-up liquid, helps it to stick to the rushes. They will turn a brown colour in a few days.

Don't know about moss - anyone else.

reilig

I would recommend that you spray it with either Mortone or MCPA 500.
I was always a mortone fan, but this year I got the MCPA because the local co-op had no mortone. I find the MCPA much better. You can see it working within 4 days and it kills off rushes completely after about 2 weeks. It also kills sprat and weeds including moss.

I have a weed licker but do not use it anymore. I find it costly to use. Roundup or similar has become very expensive. Also, It only kills what the licker touches and I find that there is a very fast return of rush growth. Spraying kills all but the grass and regrowth is much slower and application is much faster.

€74 for MCPA and it sprayed 15 acres.

vanderbadger

well I suppose if the place was thick with rushes the lack of sunlight hitting the ground might bring on the moss anyway, if the rushes were sprayed off and cut down when dead it might clear the moss up also

pakalasa

reilig wrote: »

€74 for MCPA and it sprayed 15 acres.

Incidentally how much did it cost you per drum?

I paid 49 Euro only yesterday (10Lts drum). Same drum was 55 Euro only 2 weeks ago. Both at Dairygold.:eek:

reilig

pakalasa wrote: »

Incidentally how much did it cost you per drum?

I paid 49 Euro only yesterday (10Lts drum). Same drum was 55 Euro only 2 weeks ago. Both at Dairygold.:eek:

First drums were bought in Connacht gold in a 2x10 litre pack and cost €102.

Went across the border after that and picked it up for €74 for 2 x 10 litre pack.

Have sprayed more for neighbours than myself this year and am getting great feedback on the MCPA. Stunts grass growth a little bit - just as the mortone does, but it does a great job on the rushes.

SomethingElse

Thanks for all your replies, I know we've used mortone in the past (and it did a good job on the rushes), but I'll be trying MCPA this time to try and get rid of the moss too. I think a bit of drainage is in order as well. What time of the year would be best for spraying?

reilig

SomethingElse wrote: »

What time of the year would be best for spraying?

Mid Summer - before the rushes go to seed and make sure you put it on in dry weather.

SomethingElse

Thanks!

Oldtree

I also suffer from a few rushes/reeds. I bought some Mortox 50 in the co-op last year as it says it can deal with soft rushs on the packet, but didn't get around to using it. I was going to do a bit of hand spot spray and was going to add a bit of roundup (not the full dose) to weaken the plants.

I have just had the fields baled a few weeks ago so the rushes/reeds are now beginning to show above the grass.

Has anybody used Mortox 50 and what were the results.
Will the roundup idea help?
thanks

adne

Round up will kill ur grass

SomethingElse

I would avoid using round-up, even in a small dose it might still cause irreparable damage to your grass. Does anyone know if there's a drainage grant available? Think that's the only way forward for me!

vanderbadger

dont think there is a drainage grant but not sure, anyone ever use those green drain pipes they keep advertising in journal, no stone requires, just backfill the drain..often wondered if they were any good??

reilig

vanderbadger wrote: »

dont think there is a drainage grant but not sure, anyone ever use those green drain pipes they keep advertising in journal, no stone requires, just backfill the drain..often wondered if they were any good??

My brother used those pipes. They are letting some water away, but they have limitations. We have between 2 and 4 inches of soil on our land. Beneath that is impermiable daub (ie sticky mud that water won't flow through)

Traditional drainage on our type of land was done by putting a skim of gravel in the bottom of the shore, putting the pipe in on top and filling the shore to the level of the soil with chips.

These new pipes call for the shore to be dug, the pipe is put in the bottom of the shore and it is backfilled with what was dug out in the first place which can only be called a mixture of soil and daub. How permiable is this?? That's anyone's guess.

So in short, These pipes would work great on land that has 2 foot of soil. But any land that I have ever seen with 2 foot of soil is normally dry and doesn't need drainage.

It would probably work great in bog too

SomethingElse

vanderbadger wrote: »

dont think there is a drainage grant but not sure, anyone ever use those green drain pipes they keep advertising in journal, no stone requires, just backfill the drain..often wondered if they were any good??

I wonder if they work out much cheaper than using the pipe covered with stone method

roosterman71

The only 100% way to get rid of rushes is to drain the area they grow in. They like wet land, so ya'll end up spraying for ever more.

We'd a field that used to have turf cut of it (in the 40s), and it was covered in rushes. It was drained, and re-sown. Its now perfect.

Regarding the new pipes, they're only a success in land that allows water to flow through easily. If you don't have this, stone is the answer (plus lots more drains closer together)

Thoushaltnot

Sorry if this seems like a really stoopid thing to say but is tree planting an (long term) option? To suck a load of moisture out of the soil.

I remember a conservation project in the UK which involved volunteers chopping down and removing trees (birch, I think - I got the impression it was a particularly thirsty tree) from a bog, as they were drying it out but I can't find any references to it on the 'net, as yet.

roosterman71

Trees would help drain the soil, and bind it together too (through the root network). I guess it would kill the rushes. I think the OP wants to use the land though so maybe planting trees isn't an option.

Rujib1

Cutting 3 times a year, for 3 years does wonders to minimise the rush crop!

R1

vanderbadger

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/55-Litre-ATV-Quad-Spot-Sprayer-10-Boom-FREE-DELIVERY_W0QQitemZ390065453878QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL?hash=item5ad1b67b36&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262&_trkparms=|293%3A1|294%3A30

not bad value I reckon, shipping pretty cheap

reilig

vanderbadger wrote: »

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/55-Litre-ATV-Quad-Spot-Sprayer-10-Boom-FREE-DELIVERY_W0QQitemZ390065453878QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL?hash=item5ad1b67b36&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262&_trkparms=|293%3A1|294%3A30

not bad value I reckon, shipping pretty cheap

I think I'd find it a pain in the h@le. Its only 55 litres - you would probably need to put on 50 litres per acre. Imagine having to fill it every acre.

I have a Hardi 66 gallon sprayer. One fill will do 5 to 6 acres.
There are loads of guys trading small 66 gallon sprayers for bigger models. You could probably pick up a good Hardi for €700 that will spray all the rushes you will ever have.

vanderbadger

true enough I guess, still I only have corners here and there to do and mostly they are rough side hills that i stay off with the tractor

Figerty

Maybe where you are, but generally that's not the case. I have some dry 'upland' and have been cutting the rushes 3 -4 times a year for a long time. Gave up that approach this year and bought a sprayer and Mortone.

It has made a huge difference. However, getting rid of rushes isn't easy and spraying without fertilising is going to knock back the grass quality and cattle aren't fond of it.

Another thing about spraying you have to get the application rate right.

You have four main things to consider;

The right chemical for the job; choice is your own.
The amount of chemical per litre depending on the size of the tank.
The application rate (40-50 litres per acre); is dependant on the pressure output and the wheel speed of the tractor. The sprayer I use is at 45psi and about 2mph.

Drainage is also vital, but the best of land was drowned wet for the last two years and the rushes loved it.


I read recently that killing moss is one thing, chemicals will do that but the underlying factors such as soil PH have to be addressed. I'm still working on this for my piece of land.

Rujib1 wrote: »

Cutting 3 times a year, for 3 years does wonders to minimise the rush crop!

R1

Oldtree

I think about the birch trees that they just like that environment. I came across a study sometime in the past and cannot pin it down, but suffice to say that it stated that oak trees will suck an area dry when they start to mature but that it may take 15-20 years. Will see if I can find the study.

Indubitable

When spraying rushes, a little trick is to throw in some fairyliquid with your desired spray and it will stick to the rushes better. (sounds mad but it works).

try spraying rushes before the seeds come out the side of them, that way in 3-5 years of spraying you should have little or no rushes

Ashill5

I bought a weedlicker 3Yrs ago.I have nearly cleared all the Rushes but it is a constant Battle with this great weather we are having. I think that it find it is far better than spraying as you are not hitting the Grass. I use Gallop 90, with a mixture of 10/1. I wiped some this year on 5th Jan and got a very good response. As long as you have a bit of dry weather Gallop will do the Job and you are giving the Grass every chace in the spring

The Bull

I put out some round up on the land there on friday and was wondering how long i should keep livestock off the land, How long till it is safe to let them back onto that ground?

Min

The Bull wrote: »

I put out some round up on the land there on friday and was wondering how long i should keep livestock off the land, How long till it is safe to let them back onto that ground?

5 days livestock free and you should be fine.

bogman_bass

a run with a chain harrow might help pull up some of that moss

adne

The Bull wrote: »

I put out some round up on the land there on friday and was wondering how long i should keep livestock off the land, How long till it is safe to let them back onto that ground?

I thought round up killed all inc grass