Eradicating Fescue

[dbltree]

Here are some links to eradicating fescue and any methods used on fescue will work on brome as well.

Timing of spraying and burning is very important as they both tend to go dormant in the summer.

It's imperative that we eradicate fescue before attempting to establish NWSG, legumes and other foodplots.

Roundup applied at the proper times and rates will kill both brome and fescue but fescue seed will allow it to come back...so burning or a second spraying is very important.

Check out these great links to help you plan your attack on fescue!

Eradicating Fescue

Killing Fescue

Fescue Control

Note: Journey has replaced Plateau herbicide and is a Plateau/roundup cocktail with residual affects making it well suited for establishing NWSG...other then switchgrass.


Plateau for Fescue control

 

[FarmlandQDM]

As usual ... great info Paul ... thanks for posting it.

 

[Thayer]

Yep, he puts some great stuff out here.

 

[dbltree]

Since "stuff" is coming up and your new NWSG plots...what is it?

Very well could be fescue (miserable stuff anyhow

)

Here's a few pics:

This is a single fescue plant trying to survive after suppresions and fighting off bermuda grass.

It grows in clumps and will keep coming back unless you completely (if that's possible) eradicate it with herbicide and fire.

You can see how thick it get's making it very undesirable for wildlife:

Tall fescue is best identified by stiff, dark green leaves, with deeply grooved upper leaf surfaces and shiny, smooth lower leaf surfaces. Edges of the leaf blades have fine, sharp barbs (serrated)

Close up of the leaves:

Here's what it might look like in April:

Seedhead:

Tall fesuce will be greening up in clumps like crazy in this part of the country:

Smooth brome is another cool season grass that would be popping up right now:

It has a different type of seed head:

If you have a new NWSG planting...and you see "green clumps" coming up...don't be jumping for joy...because it's way to early for Warm Season Grass to be coming up.

It is a perfect time to follow the directions at the beginning of this thread and KILL KILL KILL so you can end up with a beautiful prairie that is useful for wildlife rather then a "wasteland" of fescue and brome