Killing rushes

[Sparkymark]

I recently took a grazing agreement on some land for grazing dry cows. A fair crop of of rushes on it there is.
Whats the best way to get rid of rushes?
I understand drainage and ph need sorting and that will be taken care of. But is there a spray that kills them quickly and when is the best time of year for it?

 

[Kevtherev]

Mcpa will take them out when they are young especially after they have been topped and fresh growth is appearing
Drainage and PH also very important

 

[hally]

Easy weed to kill as Kev says spray with Mcpa just before flowering( June up here) and then mow/ top them 6 weeks later. Or top/ mow them and spray 6 weeks later. Good grass management and heavy grazing prevents reinfestation.

 

[GTB]

Glypho in a weed wiper also works well.

 

[hally]

We used to spray a lot of hill land for rushes back before all these environmental schemes and I can still see the sprayer reps face when I ordered a sprayer and wanted the booms cut down. He said but everybody wants them bigger until I showed him the terrain it was going to operate on.

 

[JohnGalway]

You did ask for the "best" time so this will be outside of that. But, I've seen rushes sprayed in December 09 or 10 right before the big freeze that died just as well as any other time, the only thing being it took them longer to die.

 

[Coximus]

Top, graze hard and you won't get much regrowth in year one. As soon as 3 or 4 inches stand proud sprat off yhe area and they will be gone

 

[kill]

Top, graze hard and you won't get much regrowth in year one. As soon as 3 or 4 inches stand proud sprat off yhe area and they will be gone

Very correct and if possible flail top them to ground level to smash the crown's to weaken before spraying

 

[multi power]

3 bags an acre of 20 10 10 and 10 tonne of muck

 

[kill]

3 bags an acre of 20 10 10 and 10 tonne of muck

And a bit of drainage. Chicken mucks the best

 

[Sid]

flail top, subsoil,lime and muck. All doing good for the soil and drainage meaning more grass growth as well. Spray just does one job. Lines the pockets of someone else.

 

[Paul E]

flail top, subsoil,lime and muck. All doing good for the soil and drainage meaning more grass growth as well. Spray just does one job. Lines the pockets of someone else.

....but spray works straight away, the rest takes years to accumulate.
but a valid point.
Used to use MCPA until found out 24D worked better.

 

[multi power]

....but spray works straight away, the rest takes years to accumulate.
but a valid point.
Used to use MCPA until found out 24D worked better.

Spray works on the symptoms, feeding and good soil husbandry actually treats the problem

 

[Paul E]

Op asked the best way to get rid of rushes.
By best, I read "fastest"
You read "most sustainable".

 

[Sid]

....but spray works straight away, the rest takes years to accumulate.
but a valid point.
Used to use MCPA until found out 24D worked better.

Spray doesn't work straight away it has to be translocated into the plant and then the plant may die slowly.

 

[Sheep]

Spray doesn't work straight away it has to be translocated into the plant and then the plant may die slowly.

We've found flail topping/mulching, heavy grazing and correct nutrient balance works quickest. Spraying just offsets them for a while.

 

[Coximus]

Identify the rush. Sharp rush is difficult to remove. Soft quite easy. I've heard of neighbours flailing and putting pigs on to fix the ground

 

[Kevtherev]

Drum mower cut close to the ground they don't like

 

[hally]

We shave them off with our spearhead and they don't come back after that and a few hundred sheep always helps

 

[Bones]

And a bit of drainage. Chicken mucks the best

Chicken muck helps kill rushes, but be ready for some 6ft tall angry thistles,