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[Fwd: Re: Reed Canary]

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Brett Roberts wrote:
> 
> James MacDonald wrote:
> >
> > Thanks for the response about Carex.  In this prairie restoration it seems
> > odd to be fighting with a native grass but reed canary grass wants to
> > completely take over as the only living species.
> >
> > The area I'm working with is moist but not wet and I'm sure I can get the
> > forbs re-established once the reed canary is gone.  I want to start the
> > matrix for them to grow in at the same time.  A short but aggressive Carex
> > is exactly what I want.  The Fire Service site you suggest has a good
> > listing of sedges.
> >
> > There is a pond at the bottom of the swale and even though it is generally
> > surrounded by a six foot ring of reed canary I'm not ready to start
> > fighting that yet.  I'm sticking to areas where it is less strong.  I'll be
> > using the Post at least 150' from the water and I wonder how dangerous this
> > will be to the pond.  I thought that Post degrades in the soil and doesn't
> > move around much.  Is this not true?  If there is no running water
> > connecting where I use the Post and the pond can it still adversely affect
> > the fish?
> >
> > At 08:58 AM 6/12/98 -0500, you wrote:
> > >I think the large sedges that Carl was talking about is Scirpus fluviatilis,
> > >River bulrush, and Scirpus validus, Soft-stem bulrush.  While established
> > >plants of these species tend to persist in reed canary stands, they will not
> > >compete in the long run.  I think you may want to consider putting in
> > >aggressive Carex species (along with herbiciding) such as Carex vulpinoidea,
> > >Carex hystricina or Carex scoparia (these are listed in a cultural guide
> > >found at http://www.appliedeco.com/cultural.htm) that may be better suited
> > >to your site.  Carex lacustris is one that spreads by rhizomes and that may
> > >be useful, but it needs saturated soils all growing season.  You may want to
> > >be very careful about applying Poast to your swale if you have standing
> > >water as run-off may adversely affect the fish population in your pond.
> > >Another grass-only herbicide that we have been using with some success is
> > >Fusion.  It, too, is not rated for aquatic usage.
> > >
> > >You also might want to check out:
> > >more info on reed canary
> > >http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/graminoid/phaaru/fire_effects.html
> > >(This is the same site that Bob Statton recommended)
> > >
> > >chemical database that lists environmental effects:
> > >http://ace.orst.edu/info/extoxnet/pips/ghindex.html (do a keyword seach for
> > >Poast and Fusion)
> > >
> > >Patrick Daniels
> > >Staff Ecologist
> > >P.O. Box 256
> > >Brodhead, WI 53520
> > >(608) 897-8641 FAX (608) 897-8486
> > >email: pat@appliedeco.com
> > >
> > >
> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >From:  owner-prairie@mallorn.com [owner-prairie@mallorn.com] On Behalf
> > >Of James MacDonald
> > >Sent:  Thursday, June 11, 1998 11:30 AM
> > >To:    prairie@mallorn.com
> > >Subject:       Re: Reed Canary
> > >I have been trying to remove some patches of reed canary from a fairly
> > >moist swale here in south central Wisconsin for two years.   Fire seems to
> > >encourage, not retard, them.  I have applied roundup twice to these patches
> > >each spring and but I still get a 40% to 50% regrowth the next year.  These
> > >are old patches and I suspect they have built up a large seed source.
> > >
> > >As you say replacement is the only solution.  I don't want to use a high
> > >caliber moist loving grass alternative though which can eventually create
> > >an impenetrable thicket.  My hope is to get some sedges going in these
> > >spots and then help them along by spraying the areas with Post.  This is a
> > >grass specific herbicide that, I hope, will kill the remaining reed canary
> > >but not the sedges.
> > >
> > >I'm interested in which species you mean when you say the "larger sedges"
> > >will replace reed canary.  I'm also wondering if anyone has had success
> > >with this approach.
> > >
> > >James MacDonald
> > >
> >
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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> > message text UNSUBSCRIBE PRAIRIE
> 
> You have recieved excellent information.  Maybe I can add a little
> insight to your problem.
> 
> Reeds Canary grass is native to both North America and Europe.  This
> species thrives in the same ecological niches on both continents.  As
> European immigrants settled various parts of the US, they introduced
> strains of this species brought from their native lands.  As it turns
> out, these strains are more agressive than native strains.  To
> complicate matters this species has been introduced further due to its
> sod forming and flood tolerant characteristics.  Early in the 1930's
> with the soil conservation movement, this species was used for grassed
> waterways and small gully control.  It worked marvelously for this
> purpose.  The downside is that has also spread into riparian areas and
> completely
> overtaken the native flora.  For this reason the Natural Resources and
> Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service) no longer
> recommends this species in many states including Illinois.
> 
> AS far as your choice of herbicides:
> 
> 1)  You may wish to visit your local NRCS Field Office and obtain more
> information about the interaction of various herbicides and the soils on
> your site.  They have a procedure to evaluate the potential risk for
> leaching, solution runoff, and sediment adsorbed runoff for a
> particlular pesticide/soil combination.
> 
> 2)  The herbicides mentioned above will require more than one
> application
>     to get good control.  In most cases Roundup will provide better
>     control, but these products are selective for broadleaf plants and
> sedges and rushes.  They are grass killers only.  By using proper
> precautions with respect to product choice and application timing, these
> chemicals (bad word for many people) can be used as tools for native
> plant restoration without endangering aquatic ecosystems.  In the long
run aquatic ecosytems and the surrounding terrestial environments are
better off without this species.

Brett Roberts
State Conservation Agronomist
Natural Resources Conservation Service-Illinois


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