Opportunities To Control Rushes

For those who have taken the opportunity to bale rushes as potential for bedding or just to tidy up fields, now is a great opportunity to reduce the dominance of rushes in the sward.  Using a weed wiper, on green regrowth after cutting is the best opportunity to ensure a kill on the growing weed.  Use glyphosate or MCPA in the weed wiper as per label adding a suitable adjuvant to help the mix stick to the rushes.  Good kill rates at 10 parts water to 1 part glyphosate. Seek advice on chemical rates before wiping.

Top Tips for weed wiping

• Trial the machine wiping with water if unfamiliar with how the machine works.
• Then in the most dense area first.
• Graze grass down to a low level to avoid the risk of killing grass.  Grazing with both cattle and sheep works well
• Set up height of brush or carpet above the height of the grass ensuring coverage over rushes
• Treat regrowth of rushes ensuring they are green
• Top them after they are fully brown and dead allowing at least 4 weeks after weed wiping
• Weed wipe dense rushes twice in different directions
• Keep brush or carpet wet avoiding any dripping
• Follow environmental advice on label

Craig Bothwell

craig.bothwell@sac.co.uk