Rushes - how to control them

KingPanko

Hi all,

What do ye think is the best way to control rushes?

funkey_monkey

In the middle of a battle against them here. Mulch, spray green regrowth with MCPA, coat with slurry. Ensure pH is correct and lime if needed. Sort out and drainage issues.

Early in the battle here. Still got to sort lime and a few wet spots.

KingPanko

Thank you @funkey_monkey , what do you mulch with, by topping or flail mower?

Why coat with slurry?

Was it MCPA that was talked about being removed from the market or was that another chemical?

funkey_monkey

Contractor done it. I think it was a flail type. Made a great job. Some would say that an ordinary mower and then bale it up or gather it up to burn or dispose in some way would be better. The spray only really works on rushes in the growing phase, so cut/mulch first and then spray the regrowth.

From reading on here and f4f slurry can knock them back. You need to figure out why you have rushes in the first place and deal with them.

I think there was talk of it (mcpa) being removed. I think the preference now is for use of weed wipers instead of spraying. Although you might have to go in both directions to get a good coating on them.

Poulgorm

Drainage is the only answer. They need swampy conditions to grow.

Omallep2

I rolled a field of probably 10 month old rushes earlier in the summer, sprayed straight after with MCPA and then coated with a mixture of cattle and pig slurry and the field is much improved and rushes look to be well set back. I'll be interested to see what it's like post topping next year (will let rushes die well off as I have cut to soon post spraying before).

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122606725#Comment_122606725

how long after spraying did you apply the slurry

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122606101#Comment_122606101

Thats about it imo....you have to keep at it…to initially sicken them top/cut....the more towards the butt you get the easier the grass can compete...I got decent enough results out of just a 5 foot drum mower and shaving the area a dry summer....they didn't come back strong for 3/4 years

If spraying always cut and spray the nice tender regrowth a number of weeks later..

But the fuckers will always come back and be as bad again in a couple of years if drainage and pH isn't sorted.

Uncle had them down to isolated patches and used to go at them with an old strimmer with a blade cut the tuft below ground level...almost cutting a shallow bowl into the ground...then put a good bit of lime into that...seemed to work...read here years later crofters in Scotland used to do similar I think

Father used to gey the spade for isolated tufts and dig them up...then Bury them upside down...said he used to get 4 or 5 years out of that!

Never used a licker but always thought that might be a good way to just get the rushes and save on the spray...

Omallep2

I'd say about 2 weeks

148multi

The rush roots acidifies the ground around it, roundup or buggy in weedlicker.

PoorFarmer

I just started the war on them here too this year in earnest. I have been spraying, mulching, topping, liming etc sporadically for the last number of years but this year they were worse than ever.

I am trying a different approach this time around. All rushes cut once the fields were grazed with the exception of ACRES ground that was not cut until July. They were all baled up and removed from the fields. Once the regrowth is up to around 20-25 cm I weed-licked them. I found that anything lower than this height means they are not getting enough of the chemical to stunt them enough and if you go too low with the licker you are hitting grass. Fertilised the fields, slurry if possible and grazed. Once the cattle were out of the field for a week I weed-licked them again but in the opposite direction and that has driven them back much more than the previous round of chemical. A few of the fields with only patches get licked both directions first time around and topped after.

You really need your own licker to get them this way as you need to be able to get out and get individual fields as they are grazed. Much less of them regrowing this backend so might be working hopefully. I can do 7 or 8 acres of an evening once I am set up so timewise it's not a huge investment. I am under no illusions that this will get rid of them, it will only manage them like most other methods. Once they get to the stage where there is more grass than rushes then I will be winning.

50HX

@PoorFarmer spot on approach &mindset re managing rushes.

We know what will eliminate them which is drainage,correcting ph & soil fertility.

If you don't do all of these 2gether then you are in the management zone.

I've finally gotten a handle on them this year after previous years of spraying/licking.

This year I've grazed bare & topped, didn't spray any heavy zones til 2nd re growth in july & they are v weak & scattered now.

I'm not intensive so using my slurry a bit better now, 1000gl/acre after grazing gives grass a good head start on them

PoorFarmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122609147#Comment_122609147

Honestly the figures for drainage just weren't working. I don't mind putting a drain in where there is a soft spot in a field but the numbers being thrown around for drainage of entire fields would never pay with sucklers.

I found with liming that the skin of the soil was loosening a little too much for heavier cattle and they were really causing a bit too much damage for my liking. I do plan to trial Granlime on one of the heavier fields to see if that is any better or worse than crushed lime.

Not intensive here either and slurry management is one of the things I have improved on over the last 5 years also. The silage ground here always got 90% of the slurry from my father. Sometimes be getting 8000g+/acre I reckon over 2 cuts. Well down on those kind of figures now and there is plenty to go around for the grazing ground. One thing I will say is that slurry before weedlicking is a no-no, especially after just grazing the ground. Would be OK if topping and licking re-growth.

I have plans for agroforestry on a field also as a trial to see if that leads to improvements on rush growth by taking some of the moisture from the ground. That is a long term plan though and I wouldn't expect to see any improvements for at least 5 years.

Rushes are a lifetime vocation 😀

funkey_monkey

Maybe have a look at silvopasture if it is worthwhile.

PoorFarmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122611235#Comment_122611235

I'm going at my own cost with no grant so going to chance a few different things. Have about 11 acres to be playing with and going for species that I can coppice and that the cattle will eat

patsy_mccabe

Granlime and crushed Lime (Aglime) are the same thing. Granlime is just finer ground and works quicker but doesn't last as long.

PoorFarmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122611511#Comment_122611511

Easy to go with small amounts of Granlime in comparison to Aglime. Can be more suitable for some types of land then

leoch

Does anyone use a subsoiler or pan buster or mole plough on this type of ground

KingPanko

Agroforestry / Silvopasture is something that has crossed my mind before for wet ground to try and dry it up. Any of ye know how successful it is?

PoorFarmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122611858#Comment_122611858

The reasoning behind why I'm going to try a bit is just on what I've seen on my own place. Before I bought it there was a site sold out of one of the fields. The lad living there has a row of Alder on the boundary wire. Every spring there is a sight of grass under them and the field is much drier up to about 10 metres.

It's the same field that I'm going to try it on so will be doing Alder, Willow and Hazel mostly, 3 metres between trees and 20 metres between rows. Plan is that I will get a regular fuel source from the trees and the cattle will have the benefit of grazing the leaves when they can reach them. A lot of micronutrients available from tree browsing

Stationmaster

As an old neighbour said to me, not long after I took over the home place 'embrace the rush - it'll only drive you cracked otherwise'….

I top them a few times a year so they're nice and light now and sparse enough. A lot of my land wouldn't be suitable though for drainage and trying to get rid of them altogether.

Kevhog1988

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122612091#Comment_122612091

Theres a neighbour close to me who planted a field with mostly native trees (Well not sitka spruce anyway). The grass amongst them for Leitrim land is a sight to behold. Often think it would be a good idea to do something like that also.

Birdnuts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122621769#Comment_122621769

Yep - significant research has been done in the UK recently on this and it appears planting small plots of willows/alders (3-4m2) dramatically improves drainage and reduces rush issues in fields on heavy and peaty land. I hope to do this myself in one particular field this autumn as it has alot of subsurface spring issues