Bog Rush

[Rhune]

Most obnoxious, persistent weed in my fields is bog rush (Juncus effusus, pacific variety). Only thing that has worked is spraying a field with glyphosate then burning/tilling followed by respraying and then reseeding. This is expensive and not a road I really want to go down again.

I have read that 2-4d is supposed to work. However, I have sprayed this past spring and it didn't have much of an effect. I also did some test spraying this fall when the fields started greening up and it had no effect.

Kinda left scratching my head. Spring is coming. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

 

[James T]

Have no experience with Bog Rush personally but do know that the timing of the application is important and using a surfactant is essential. Have your tried glyphosate?

Taken from "Livestock & Range News": "The taller bog or soft rush, which is of greatest concern to livestock operators, can be controlled with glyphosate at the 1.5 percent rate during flowering (which is usually late April to early May). Application at this time will optimize the translocation of the glyphosate to the roots to kill the plant. Application at other time of the year will not provide control of the plant. The broad spectrum control of glyphosate will require hand treating each clump or spraying all the pasture and reseeding. If you are using older or cheaper form of glyphosate and have high calcium water, consider adding ammonium sulphate to the water before the glyphosate is added. This will neutralize the calcium before it has a chance to bind to the glyphosate (Check the label to see if this is required). This is one of the main reasons for reported lack of effectiveness by glyphosate."

 

[pdfangus]

24d is designed for broadleaf so I would doubt that it has much effectiveness on Juncus of any type....have not read a label lately and don't have one handy....

 

[Rhune]

Have no experience with Bog Rush personally but do know that the timing of the application is important and using a surfactant is essential. Have your tried glyphosate?

Yes I have, as stated above. It also kills off the grass, which I would like to keep. The kill rate isn't 100% either. I have done some tests with spot spraying/burning and reseeding only to have the rush resprout with the new grass. I would say the kill rate is 80-90% with this method. It might be acceptable for getting control of very large/thick patches of rush but I don't see it as a permanent fix. For rush that is more thinly dispersed, I would be sacrificing too much grass.

 

[Rhune]

24d is designed for broadleaf so I would doubt that it has much effectiveness on Juncus of any type....have not read a label lately and don't have one handy....

I may be wrong, but 24d is for dicotyledons, which rushes are. It spares the grasses (monocots) which is why I used it.

I used to always think that bog rush was a monocotyledon, due to the fact that it is called 'swamp grass' around here. After discussing it with an academic, I was corrected on it not being a grass but a rush. That got me thinking and is what prompted me to research it and start spraying with 24d. (From the Pacific weed management handbook: 2,4-D LV ester Rate Use a mixture of 1.5 lb ae 2,4-D, 50 gal water, and 2 gal diesel or a nonionic surfactant for spot treatments.)

 

[Douglas]

I don't have the pacific variety but 2-4-d worked for me

 

[pdfangus]

i stand corrected....

I did not know that juncus was a dicot.

 

[Rhune]

I don't have the pacific variety but 2-4-d worked for me

When did you spray? I am wondering if my timing is just off. Also, did you brush hog any of it down before spraying? I thinking of doing this. Some of my patches are at least 2 foot tall with a lot of dead material on the top.. wondering if this is affecting penetration of the spray.

Thanks everyone for all the reply's.

 

[Klutch]

2.4D, just as the rush starts to bloom works for us.