Swamp grass

[J. T.]

I don't know what the correct name for this stuff is, but it has a round, tough, rank, dark green stem. It grows in clay soil in a creek bottom that is prone to flooding and has water standing on top of the ground in the winter and spring. It grows so thick that it will choke a tractor down when you bushhog it. The cows graze it lightly, but it's not a prefered forage. BTW, I'm in north Alabama. Question, what is this stuff and how do you get rid of it?
J. T.

 

[certherfbeef]

When you find out how to get rid of it, let me know. We have some in the low laying hayfields. Takes forever to get the stuff dry and makes the hay smell funny. Cows eat it alright but would rather not.

 

[bigbull338]

awww fiddle you 2. there aint no way to get rid of that water grass outof your bottom medows.b/c most time if you have medows in the bottom/they dont really dry out good till july.lessyour in a drought.scott

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

J.T. -- I've got a feeling you might have something called "flat sedge", but maybe your local extension agent could tell you for sure. I think there are a bunch of varieties of this sedge and not a darn one of them is good for anything (to a cattle operation) that I can think of. I've got it in some wet, low lying areas and it is an extremely tough clump grass that chokes out everything else. Pretty prolific seed producer also. In my experience, to shred it takes sharp blades, high rpm's and very slow going. First started seeing it in my area about 10 years ago and now I see some fields where it must comprise 90% of the "forage". My cows will eat it only in the most dire circumstances. My local extension guy said my best bet was a strong dose of Roundup, around 10%. Grazon might do the trick, but in my case I had to rule it out for lack of an applicator license but mostly because of the cotton growing in close proximity to my place.

 

[Campground Cattle]

I don't know what the correct name for this stuff is, but it has a round, tough, rank, dark green stem. It grows in clay soil in a creek bottom that is prone to flooding and has water standing on top of the ground in the winter and spring. It grows so thick that it will choke a tractor down when you bushhog it. The cows graze it lightly, but it's not a prefered forage. BTW, I'm in north Alabama. Question, what is this stuff and how do you get rid of it?
J. T.

I was ate up with it as most of my pastures are bottom land. I had to put a drainage system in and spray with roundup to get rid of it.

 

[Beefy]

are you talking about bullrush? is this it? (the reed on each side of the dock). i assume roundup will kill it but i usually leave it for the waterfowl, calves to hide in and whenever i need fish bait i go to a clump with a grubbing hoe and get all the worms i want. cows will nibble on it occasionally but not significantly.

 

[Dave]

If it has a round stem it is not a sedge. There is a saying amounst those who ID plants. Sedges have edges. If it is bull rush like Beefy said or one of the other rushes you can kill it with 2-4-D. Rush likes wet, low nutreint, acid soil. Draining moisture, increasing nitrogen or raising the pH will all affect its ability to compete with grass. A combination of 2-4-D to kill the plants that are there and lime to raise the pH to keep from coming back should work.

Dave

 

[flaboy]

are you talking about bullrush? is this it? (the reed on each side of the dock). i assume roundup will kill it but i usually leave it for the waterfowl, calves to hide in and whenever i need fish bait i go to a clump with a grubbing hoe and get all the worms i want. cows will nibble on it occasionally but not significantly.

{/quote]

I don't think they are talking about bullrush. Down here we call it swamp grass also. Much finer than bullrush. Never seen any cows eat it but they might. I agree with bigbull, you are fighting a lossing battle unless you get the ground dry, keep it dry, and use a weed killer on it.

 

[J. T.]

As best as I can tell from the photo, that is what I have in my pastures. I wasn't sure if this was bullrushes or not, but that's what it looks like.

 

[Beefy]

i think some people call bullrush (or waht i call bullrush anyway) some type of papyrus . the part about choking down a bushhog was what gave it away for me. been there done that. its not that big of a deal to me but its not all over the pasture either. they have some for sale at lowes if anyone needs some. or i'd be willing to ship you some. lemme know, beefy

 

[Beefy]

that goes for the geese as well. Best, beefy

 

[flaboy]

The second picture is not what we call swamp grass. Swamp grass grows on the low lying areas out from marshes down here. It only gets about two feet high. You just about can't walk through it. It grows in bunches like this though. I will see if I can find a picture. If not I will take one next time I'm down by the swamp. Sorry, I not good with "official" names, just the old terms.

 

[BC]

The pictures shown were bullrush. It is difficult to control. Round-up applied with a carpet roller in August and September has worked the best here in East Texas. The plant has a big tuberous bulb under the ground and if you kill the top too fast it will come back. Cows will eat the stuff in early spring.

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

Sounds like water grass.NRCS would probably classify the land as "wetland" and restrict what you can do with it. :frowns: