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Tag: orchardgrass

Not many orchardgrass control options in turfgrass

Posted on by jahoyle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(By Jared Hoyle; KSU Turfgrass Research and Extension)

Orchardgrass is a cool-season coarse textured, upright, bunch-type perennial grass. This grass is frequently used as a forage grass but may be a contaminant in low quality seed mixtures. The leaves are smooth, wide ¼ to ½ inch and taper to a boat-shaped tip. It is easily identified by its tall membranous ligule. The leaf color is light gray, dull-green and it does not form a dense turf canopy even when well watered and fertilized. It is not compatible with any fine leaf textured turfgrasses like Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass or turf-type tall fescue.

This grass usually invades lawns by planting contaminated seed lots or in newly established lawns that were once pastures. It grows well in full sun or partial shade but will not tolerate heavy traffic or close mowing heights. What makes this grass so objectionable aside from its color is its rapid vertical growth rate which requires more frequent mowing in order to keep a uniform turf surface. Additionally, the leaf tips have a tendency to shred rather than mow cleanly, even with sharp mower blades.

Now controlling orchardgrass is a different story.  Just because we can identify it doesn’t always mean it is easy to control.  Unfortunately, there no selective control options that we can use in cool-season turfgrass systems.  Many different chemistries (mesotrione, chlorosulfuron, metsulfuron, and more) have been tested but didn’t provide satisfactory control.

So with that being said the options out there right now are physical removal, blah… Or non-selective herbicides like glyphosate. Remember that glyphosate will kill everything and not just your orchardgrass.

Always remember to READ THE LABEL for the correct rate, turfgrass tolerance, and specific instructions before application!!!

***Mention of trade names or commercial products in this article is solely for identification purposes and does not imply recommendation or endorsement, nor is criticism implied of similar products not mentioned by Kansas State University.***

Don’t forget to follow me on twitter @KSUTurf.

Also, visit our facebook page www.facebook.com/KSUTurf

Information in this article was from the 2019 Edition of the Turfgrass Weed control for Professionals and the Lawn Problem Solver Website.

Orchardgrass control, or lack of?

Posted on by jahoyle

(By Jared Hoyle; KSU Turfgrass Research and Extension)

Last night while cruising through Facebook I can across a blog that Dr. Nick Christians from Iowa State wrote about orchardgrass.  Take a good look at the pictures because you might have some in your lawn too.

https://www.extension.iastate.edu/turfgrass/blog/orchardgrass-dactylis-glomerata-lawns

Now controlling orchardgrass is a different story.  Just because we can identify it doesn’t always mean it is easy to control.  Unfortunately, there no selective control options that we can use in cool-season turfgrass systems.  Many different chemistries (mesotrione, chlorosulfuron, metsulfuron, and more) have been tested at Purdue but didn’t even provide satisfactory control.

So with that being said the options out there right now are physical removal, blah… Or non-selective herbicides like glyphosate.

Always remember to READ THE LABEL for the correct rate, turfgrass tolerance, and specific instructions before application!!!

***Mention of trade names or commercial products in this article is solely for identification purposes and does not imply recommendation or endorsement, nor is criticism implied of similar products not mentioned by Kansas State University.***

Don’t forget to follow me on twitter @KSUTurf.

Also, visit our facebook page www.facebook.com/KSUTurf

For Seeding Success, Pay Attention to “Other Crop” on the Seed Label

Posted on by jahoyle

(By Ward Upham and Jared Hoyle; KSU Research and Extension)

Fall planting time is close at hand, so it’s time to talk about grass seed. Many people have the idea that all grass seed is basically the same. Big mistake! Choosing quality seed is one of the most important steps in successfully planting or overseeding your lawn. If you don’t know what to look for, you may be introducing unwanted intruders into that new stand. In particular, we are concerned with seed contaminated with orchardgrass and/or rough bluegrass (also known by its Latin name, Poa trivialis, or Poa triv for short). These are both perennial grassy weeds that cannot be selectively controlled once they are in a lawn.

IMG_0661   Orchardgrass is a problem because it is faster growing and lighter green than our turfgrasses. It is a bunch grass and so doesn’t spread, but infested areas are still unsightly due to small tufts of this species pockmarking the lawn.

Rough bluegrass is fine-textured and forms circular patches in the lawn.  It blends in fairly well until summertime heat causes it to turn brown rapidly. If the rough bluegrass would just die in the heat, it would only be a temporary problem. Unfortunately, it usually just goes dormant, turning green again with cooler temperatures and rain.

Buying quality seed starts with knowing how to decipher the seed label. One of the most important things to look for is listed as “% other crop.” “Other crop” refers to any species that is intentionally grown for some purpose. That would include turfgrasses (those species other than the one you are buying) and pasture grasses. Orchardgrass and rough bluegrass both are listed as “other crop” seed. Seed labels are required by law to show the percentage (by weight) of “other crop” in the bag, but unless a species constitutes 5% or more, the label doesn’t have to list each species by name.

How much “other crop” is too much? That’s a difficult question to answer, but the tolerance is very low. It depends on what the “other crop” actually is, and the quality expectations of the buyer. In practice, “other crop” may refer to something relatively harmless, like a small amount of perennial ryegrass in a bag of tall fescue, or it may refer to something bad, like rough bluegrass or orchardgrass. The homeowner really has no easy way of knowing what the “other crop” is, although there are some hints. If it is something bad, less than ½ of 1% can ruin a bag of seed. Obviously, if your expectations are high for the area you are planting, you would want the “other crop” to be as close to zero as possible. Good quality seed will often have 0.01% “other crop” or less.

Also, Check your rules for selecting the right seed for you – https://blogs.k-state.edu/turf/the-art-of-knowing-your-seed-label/

***Mention of trade names or commercial products in this article is solely for identification purposes and does not imply recommendation or endorsement, nor is criticism implied of similar products not mentioned by Kansas State University.***

Don’t forget to follow me on twitter @KSUTurf.

Also, visit our facebook page www.facebook.com/KSUTurf