Johnson Grass

RyaninKS · Jun 12, 2014

Is there any way to get rid of it besides dig it all up? This stuff is all over my 5 acres that I live on so its not practical to dig it up. I round up a bunch of it every year but it comes back the next year.

I asked afew old farmers in the area and they all said the best way to get rid of it is to move and leave it behind

Dean · Jun 12, 2014

Johnson grass can be eradicated chemically but it will require multiple applications.

You will not be able to eradicate it by digging it up unless you have a very small amount.

Dean

Nancy Howell · Jun 12, 2014

Horses! They will eat it to the ground, then dig the roots and eat them.

Try some "Remedy". Its stronger than RU.

VADAVE · Jun 12, 2014

Yes you can get rid of it but you have to work at it. When I bought my place it had just about taken over. Around the edges I mowed/bushhogged every week or two, didn't let it go 3 weeks. In the field used the strongest chemicals available and when round-up-ready beans arrived that really helped. I read up on the beans as to just how much round-up they could tolerate and then fought with the chemical supplier/applicator get them to go to the limit. Yes it hurt yields some but now I'm down to just a few patches. It's been a 20 year fight but you can win.

Greg1959 · Jun 12, 2014

I had about 15 acres of it. I kept it mowed down, never let the grass get over 6 inches tall. It took two years but it is gone.

ShadetreeRet · Jun 12, 2014

Greg1959 offers a good suggestion. It does take some time, but wherever you can, keep it mowed short. In addition to the shock of being cut frequently, the leaves cannot absorb whatever they need from the air and eventually it should die. I have killed other plants this way.

donjr · Jun 12, 2014

First of all, where is it? If it's in a field with animals, the best thing is to graze the crap out of it. Cows and horse seem to love it. But also, cut it and make sure it doesn't get a chance to go to seed or even set seed.

If it's on tillable ground, use glyphosate tolerant corn and/or beans, plant a touch late, and hit it with at least one, if not two doses of the chemical. You may still have a few places to spot spray, and it may take a bit, but it can be dealt with.

Don't confuse it with shattercane, which looks a lot like it as it's growing, but shattercane only grows from seed. Johnsongrass grows from seed and rhizomes. You need a strong enough a dose of roundup to get the rhizomes, and then it may not work immediately. And, the seed stays viable for 10+ years, like alfalfa or clover. So, it's a long haul job. After you get it under control, you have to keep after it.See it, spray it.....

JWalker · Jun 12, 2014

If it is in "pasture" you can use Dupont Pastoria(sp). I used it several times on different coastal bermuda fields with outstanding results.

Dean Olson · Jun 12, 2014

Cheapest and easiest is to graze it. I rented out 4 acres to some horse people who put 11 horses on it. Agreement was for 3. They over grazed it into dirt and weeds. I ran them off and put some goats on it to eat the weeds and seeded it with Bermuda grass.

John A. · Jun 12, 2014

ryaninks, String an electric fence around it, Plow it deep and turn in 30 or so hogs to root and dig and eat the roots! leave them there till you can no longer find roots.
or
while the Johnson grass is actively growing, right after a good rain Round Up it let it set retreat and new growth. till now new growth reappears.
Or yet
Plow, plant wheat in the fall then in the summer after harvest keep plowing every 2 weeks till fall planting time after 4 yrs or so it will be gone!
Hope this helps!
Later,
John A.

Johnson Grass

RyaninKS

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Dean

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Nancy Howell

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VADAVE

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Greg1959

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ShadetreeRet

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donjr

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JWalker

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Dean Olson

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John A.

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