is it too early to lick/spray rushes??

vanderbadger

wondering if its too early to tackle the rushes, some still abit brownish. First time a few dry days have come together so was thinking of going at it

johngalway

I sprayed some the middle of December one year, it took them a lot longer but they died. Wouldn't have picked that time myself but there was a bit of pressure on me from other quarters to get it done.

I'd do them, then cut in 8 weeks time I think it is, then spray any regrowth.

vanderbadger

johngalway wrote: »

I sprayed some the middle of December one year, it took them a lot longer but they died. Wouldn't have picked that time myself but there was a bit of pressure on me from other quarters to get it done.

I'd do them, then cut in 8 weeks time I think it is, then spray any regrowth.

hmm well weather permitting i might give them a lick at the weekend, I use the quad sprayer tank to feed the licker, i think its 60L although im not positive, how much roundup should I put in assuming approx 60 L

Milton09

I wouldn't spray just yet, would really knock back the grass. I'd say licking would be fine though, I've often licked at this time of year.

reilig

Rule of thumb that i've always used was that if the rushes are growing then it is safe to lick them. Rushes grow for 10 months of the year around here.

I'd have a different view to Milton about spraying. Inevitable when you spray rushes, you will stunt the grass growth, so its better to spray as early as you can so that the grass has a better chance to recover from the stunting. If you spray in late april or early may then you can be sure of lighter meadows come silage cutting time. But everyone has their own view on it.

Have my own licker in the workshop getting a few jobs done on it and a new belt. hope to start licking in the next few days.

Application rate, I use 500ml (1/2 litre) of gallup per 50l of water and I give it a bit of washing up liquid to help me to see how wet the roller is and to help it to stick. I'll sometimes make it up a little bit stronger for old and heavy rushes.

vanderbadger

reilig wrote: »

Rule of thumb that i've always used was that if the rushes are growing then it is safe to lick them. Rushes grow for 10 months of the year around here.

I'd have a different view to Milton about spraying. Inevitable when you spray rushes, you will stunt the grass growth, so its better to spray as early as you can so that the grass has a better chance to recover from the stunting. If you spray in late april or early may then you can be sure of lighter meadows come silage cutting time. But everyone has their own view on it.

Have my own licker in the workshop getting a few jobs done on it and a new belt. hope to start licking in the next few days.

Application rate, I use 500ml (1/2 litre) of gallup per 50l of water and I give it a bit of washing up liquid to help me to see how wet the roller is and to help it to stick. I'll sometimes make it up a little bit stronger for old and heavy rushes.

i had to tidy my licker up recently as well, little yoke for tensioning belt was frigged, hopefully have it sorted now but will soon see

johngalway

vanderbadger wrote: »

hmm well weather permitting i might give them a lick at the weekend, I use the quad sprayer tank to feed the licker, i think its 60L although im not positive, how much roundup should I put in assuming approx 60 L

Can't tell you Vander, I don't use roundup or a licker, only spray with mortone so far. Though some description of a licker would be handy. (Saying that I DO have a handheld one).

limo_100

i was thinking of going out over april to spray was thinking of using adroxon 50 instead of mortone and mcpa to see if its any better

redzerologhlen

limo_100 wrote: »

i was thinking of going out over april to spray was thinking of using adroxon 50 instead of mortone and mcpa to see if its any better

I used Agroxone 50 last year and on the can it said it was 46% mcpa so would imagine its pretty much the same as mcpa 50.

connormi

Application rate, I use 500ml (1/2 litre) of gallup per 50l of water and I give it a bit of washing up liquid to help me to see how wet the roller is and to help it to stick. I'll sometimes make it up a little bit stronger for old and heavy rushes.

Is this a bit weak, we use 1 litre of gallup to 20 or 25l drum heard of others making it alot stronger even, gallup is so cheap is it not better to give them a dose of it when going to the trouble of doing it.

reilig

connormi wrote: »

Application rate, I use 500ml (1/2 litre) of gallup per 50l of water and I give it a bit of washing up liquid to help me to see how wet the roller is and to help it to stick. I'll sometimes make it up a little bit stronger for old and heavy rushes.

Is this a bit weak, we use 1 litre of gallup to 20 or 25l drum heard of others making it alot stronger even, gallup is so cheap is it not better to give them a dose of it when going to the trouble of doing it.

I find that it works fine at this strength. I got a great kill from it last summer.

massey woman

reilig wrote: »

I find that it works fine at this strength. I got a great kill from it last summer.

Hi Relig thats a ratio of 100:1 ?
If that works I have wasted a lot of € on chemical
Around here we go 10:1 and sometimes results arent great
Have you any cure for the spratty type rush
When you slit them with your nail theres a sort of a ladder in section
the chemical doesnt get past the bottom rung of the ladder and so you get a sort of a browning at high level and normal underneath and they recover and prosper for 11.99 months of the year
Any solution/experience?

Farmer Pudsey

massey woman wrote: »

Hi Relig thats a ratio of 100:1 ?
If that works I have wasted a lot of € on chemical
Around here we go 10:1 and sometimes results arent great
Have you any cure for the spratty type rush
When you slit them with your nail theres a sort of a ladder in section
the chemical doesnt get past the bottom rung of the ladder and so you get a sort of a browning at high level and normal underneath and they recover and prosper for 11.99 months of the year
Any solution/experience?

Is that the wire rush it is a thin rush that is always a bit brown on top it is a greyie green

Bizzum

From what I see the key to a good kill with rushes is to spray when they are green and sappy and growing well. If they are brown and fibrous we would top them and spray the regrowth.

Milton09

massey woman wrote: »

Hi Relig thats a ratio of 100:1 ?
If that works I have wasted a lot of € on chemical

100:1 ratio is perfect for licking. Some people will tell you that this ratio is way too dilute but modern glyphosates are serious tact and even more dilute solutions will get results if applied properly

bbam

Can i ask How much washing liquid to add? I'd be afraid of adding too much and it not pumping out onto the drum. Or just foam coming out.

reilig

bbam wrote: »

Can i ask How much washing liquid to add? I'd be afraid of adding too much and it not pumping out onto the drum. Or just foam coming out.

I have no exact measure. Just put a few squirts into it. It will foam in the drum, but the foam will stay on top of the water. So the pump will pump out the water till it reaches the foam and you will be left with a drum of foam at the end. I find the foam on the roller helps the water to stick and there is less drip.

bbam

We got out on Saturday and licked some rushes. Used Gallup for the first time @ 20:1 ratio with a squirt of washing up liquid.

Great value in the Gallup compared to Roundup. Got a 20l drum for €75. A galon used on Saturday and it covers serious ground. Bring on more dead rushes!

vanderbadger

bbam wrote: »

We got out on Saturday and licked some rushes. Used Gallup for the first time @ 20:1 ratio with a squirt of washing up liquid.

Great value in the Gallup compared to Roundup. Got a 20l drum for €75. A galon used on Saturday and it covers serious ground. Bring on more dead rushes!

i licked some as well there the other weekend but i found that there is alot of grass about after the mild winter and i ended up licking everything :rolleyes:

bbam

Yea.
Collateral damage, isn't that what they call it in military terms.

Muckit

Is it just me or are rushes taking over the country in the last few years?

There seems to be rushes in fields the least few years that never seen a rush before I'I take a dock any day!

vanderbadger

Muckit wrote: »

Is it just me or are rushes taking over the country in the last few years?

There seems to be rushes in fields the least few years that never seen a rush before I'I take a dock any day!

yes i certainly see that on my farm, even land near me which would be very dry has rushes at the moment, never previously seen there, too many wet summers maybe?

redzerologhlen

Muckit wrote: »

Is it just me or are rushes taking over the country in the last few years?

There seems to be rushes in fields the least few years that never seen a rush before I'I take a dock any day!

vanderbadger wrote: »

yes i certainly see that on my farm, even land near me which would be very dry has rushes at the moment, never previously seen there, too many wet summers maybe?

They are indeed, We have a 20 acre field across from our house. Real good dry land and there's clumps of rushes coming in parts of it now. We mind it well too because its the only piece of real good land we have. There is just no getting away from them.

johngalway

vanderbadger wrote: »

too many wet summers maybe?

Too many lads ignoring the problem.

F.D

would compaction have much to do with it ? seen in one spot in ours where it gets a lot of traffic, without tearing it up the seem to be sprouting up

reilig

F.D wrote: »

would compaction have much to do with it ? seen in one spot in ours where it gets a lot of traffic, without tearing it up the seem to be sprouting up

Compaction would cause the ground to hold water and be less porous. This in turn would cause the rushes to grow more.

bbam

Definitely in the last 3 years it's been getting worse... Where they used to be confined to "wet spots" they are coming up further and further into better parts of the fields.. First as sprigs which quickly grow into clumps..

We're working on reclaiming one field that was totally grown over, I remember as a lad we had cocks of good meadow hay on the same field...

We decided last spring that a licker was the way to go, with some uneven land and poor enough access we made a licker with a 7ft drum as it would be cheap and easy to move round..

We re-opened some badly closed main shores and fenced them off two years ago.. Now we're on a rush blitz with the licker and it will be a few years before we get it back into the shape I remember as a lad...

pakalasa

I have one field this year and I never seen so many rushes in it. I reckon it's the last few wet years that did the damage. Heavy suckler cows are poaching the ground more and bringing up the seeds. It's a constant battle, has to be done every year.

5live

Thinking of buying a licker this year so the above info very informative.

One field that i used top every year for rushes with a mower is looking well at the minute. I cut bales off it last may and it seemed to halve the number of rushes there when i was spreading fert last week. Should the cut rushes be baled and rotted down or am i reading too much into the result?

IrishLad2012

Hey guys.Thinking of going licking a few rushes next weekend.I have a 4 acre field that has tall rushes,they have been touched in about 10/15 years.There isn't great access for a tractor,so not much hope of mowing them.

What is best to use and at what Ratio?Is this the right time of year,I have the place stripped at the moment so want to lick them before grass starts.

Any advice is welcome?

Thanks Guys.

coolshannagh28

Best kill I ever got on rushes was last year sprayed with mcpa in march just as they started to grow then had those 3 dry weeks and topped them with the mower not a sign of them since .

IrishLad2012

coolshannagh28 wrote: »

Best kill I ever got on rushes was last year sprayed with mcpa in march just as they started to grow then had those 3 dry weeks and topped them with the mower not a sign of them since .

Thanks for that.Was your rush as strong as mine?what ratio did you do?

coolshannagh28

IrishLad2012 wrote: »

Thanks for that.Was your rush as strong as mine?what ratio did you do?

No just regular covering, yours sound like a project . Spray them when they green up then try to top them as they die and rot down maybe with a mulcher then spray any regrowth , Adrum of mcpa does 5 acres from memory put the drum on your 4 acres,

IrishLad2012

coolshannagh28 wrote: »

No just regular covering, yours sound like a project . Spray them when they green up then try to top them as they die and rot down maybe with a mulcher then spray any regrowth , Adrum of mcpa does 5 acres from memory put the drum on your 4 acres,

Thanks for that.Do you think there is any point spraying them as they are or should I mow first and spray regrowth?

coolshannagh28

Try to spray first ,rushes like that are very hard to cut effectively,wail till they green up.

finbarrk

Is spraying a better way to go rather than licking them at this time of the year?We have a few fields that are full of them now.

delaval

Without starting a new thread. Do any of you have any experiance getting rid of furze. We reclaimed a rocky hill a few years ago, pulled them and no sign 'till last year. They are small about 6-10 inches..........any spray I could use? They are confined to three small areas so spot treatment no bother

coolshannagh28

There s a spray called scrub available in most agri outlets and co ops called scrub which is very effective for spot spraying whins,furze and the like .

massey woman

Grazon 90 is the bizz for killing off these demons

Paddysniper

Hello,
To keep this helpful thread going,
I see no mention of croplink d50 rush spray. Is this any good for licking?
Gallup seems to be the way to go from this thread.
Thanks in advance!

Conmaicne Mara

delaval wrote: »

Without starting a new thread. Do any of you have any experiance getting rid of furze. We reclaimed a rocky hill a few years ago, pulled them and no sign 'till last year. They are small about 6-10 inches..........any spray I could use? They are confined to three small areas so spot treatment no bother

Grazon 90, I've used it a good bit, works really well, not as cheap as it used to be mind you, cheapest I could see was about €53 a litre.

- Whoops, old thread.