Q&A On Controlling Brome.

On Apr 27, 2009, at 9:46 AM, David Gossman wrote: > >> I have a number of artificial prairie native grass plantings in CRP >> areas on my farm. They have been there just over 10 years and most >> have been burned once or twice over that period. Generally they look >> real good and have an abundance of both native grasses and forbs >> that were part of the original seeding. I spot mow each year to >> control thistles. That said they are largely bordered by brome grass >> and that grass is invading them to a growing extent. I was wondering >> if anyone has tried using roundup early in the season - like right >> now - to kill the brome without impacting the native plants? Is this >> also a viable method for controlling brome in native prairie >> remnants? - of which I have a number. >> >>
David Gossman >> Hidden Bluffs Farm

David-you can try using Round-up, but I would not do so as it may kill > any emerging forbs, I have done this myself and it was not a good > thing. What I have used is Select, it is a soybean herbicide which is > selective for grasses only and will set back brome, reed canary, or > fescue to ground level and give natives a competitive advantage. We > have done this many times and it has worked very well. You want to be > sure to use the rate specified for perennial grasses. It does not > actually kill the grasses, since it was primarily designed for annuals > such as foxtail, but will stop perennial grasses from flowering and > setting seed for the year. > > Come mid-October, mow these areas, and let these non native grasses > green up, then you can spray them with Round-up in early to mid- > November and you will take them out of the planting as it will kill > the root systems. We have used this method many times and it really > works well. Because the natives are dormant, it does not touch them. > > Caution-do not use Round-up on a young plantings as many emerging > plants, which have not yet flowered, do not go dormant in October. The same effect occurs with older plants if you mow them.
Carl Kurtz