Getting rid of Quack Grass or ...
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Getting rid of Quack Grass or ... - 5/2/2009 8:19:34 PM
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gardengirl
Posts: 583
Joined: 9/20/2007
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The Upside to Digging In A New Waterline!
Those of you who read the posts about what you did on your weekend already know about the water coming into my basement due to a leaking waterline and the fun that entailed. The need for a new waterline and the words "the backhoe will be here in two hours" led to a plant digging frenzy. I got out those plants I felt it necessary to save though I may have some surprises as to what blooms where especially when it comes to the trumpet lilies as labels didn't always accompany pots and boxes. As I was replacing the stone edging and plants this week it occurred to me that the area where I had been battling quack was in the line of the trench. Some people will do anything to get rid of quack grass.
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gardengirl zone 4 MN
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RE: Getting rid of Quack Grass or ... - 5/3/2009 3:38:44 AM
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frankszone
Posts: 142
Joined: 3/14/2009
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And to think -- some folks dry quack grass and use it for winter bouquets! (No, I'm not one of them). Peace
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Boy do I love to grow things!
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RE: Getting rid of Quack Grass or ... - 5/4/2009 4:33:12 PM
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Timothygrass
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It sounds like it's time for you to be back on a tropical beach, my dear! Happy digging!
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It's All About Passion!
www.achefinthegarden.blogspot.com
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RE: Getting rid of Quack Grass or ... - 5/4/2009 7:13:42 PM
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gardengirl
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Today I dug and potted 60 plants for a plant sale on Sat.. I don't know about the beach, but the jacuzzi and a margarita are sounding really good right now.
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gardengirl zone 4 MN
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RE: Getting rid of Quack Grass or ... - 5/4/2009 7:19:33 PM
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gardengirl
Posts: 583
Joined: 9/20/2007
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Hey T, good to hear from you again. By the way great pics on your blog. I don't think a tropical beach is in the near future, but the jacuzzi and a margarita are sounding really good right now. Only problem is I'm way too tired to do anything about either one. I cleaned off the last two flowerbeds today and dug and potted 60 plants for the plant sale on Sat.
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gardengirl zone 4 MN
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RE: Getting rid of Quack Grass or ... - 5/29/2009 6:49:03 PM
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Midwest gardener
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Joined: 2/4/2009
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Now I have a serious comment/question: How does one get rid of quackgrass?
it is becoming a problem in our front lawn. The landscapers put on a very thin layer of top soil which over several years seems to have worn away to expose the underlying sandy soil, or to be more exact-sand.
Any good solutions out there?
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RE: Getting rid of Quack Grass or ... - 5/29/2009 7:48:46 PM
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gardengirl
Posts: 583
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The only way I know of to get rid of quack in the lawn is to kill it all off (at least in the area with quack)and start over. I suspect roundup would be cheaper than a backhoe.
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gardengirl zone 4 MN
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RE: Getting rid of Quack Grass or ... - 6/1/2009 2:08:40 PM
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TSQ
Posts: 69
Joined: 4/16/2009
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Midwest:
I agree with gardengirl.
Quackgrass (Agropyron repens - or Elytrigia repens) is relatively susceptible to Roundup.
I recommend a spreader / sticker with the Roundup. You get better spread of the active ingredient and therefore better control.
If you are careful to hit all of the leaf surface you can get fairly good control.
The downside - due to the spreading rhizomes you can't pull the stems off nor leave a small piece of root growing within your favorite perennial, that you don't won't to spray Roundup on, or you won't get rid of the problem.
Good luck,
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TSQ - Utah, Zone 5
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RE: Getting rid of Quack Grass or ... - 6/2/2009 7:10:51 PM
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gardengirl
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Let us know how it goes for you.
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gardengirl zone 4 MN
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RE: Getting rid of Quack Grass or ... - 6/17/2009 8:04:25 PM
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gardengirl
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I have heard of some people using cardboard or layers of newspaper to smother the quackgrass. IMHO you're better off with the roundup. I've seen quack rhizomes travel extremely long distances under heavy mulch/ landscape fabric etc. until it found an opening to pop up.
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gardengirl zone 4 MN
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RE: Getting rid of Quack Grass or ... - 6/17/2009 8:46:14 PM
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Laurel
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I have to add my wishes for good luck to all other warriors against quack grass.
6 years ago we had an addition built on the far end of the house. Cement trucks, cranes, delivery trucks, etc. driving across the full length of the yard. No lawn left alive and the heavy clay compacted into cement with the "Oregon Trail" ruts running the length of the yard. All of the usual local weeds, as well as quack grass took over. Because of back problems, and other issues, I was unable to do anything about the yard until now. Last year I sprayed the yard with Roundup -- 3 times. The quack grass kept coming back, just not as dense as before. I gave it another spraying this spring. I am now seeing a few tufts of green sprouting in a couple of places. The roots are persistent to say the least. There always seems to be a small piece of root that doesn't die.
A backhoe is no solution. The small area that wasn't driven over for the construction got the backhoe treatment in order to rebuild the septic system. That area of the yard used to have some half-way decent soil - not clay. The better soil is now somewhere between here and 6 feet down. The clay and whatever else that was 6 feet down is now on the surface.
Stinging nettle is another persistent trouble maker. Roundup doesn't get all of the roots of it either. It is not as persistent as quack grass, but it gives the grass a good run for the money.
My best advice -- don't give up --- keep on fighting.
Laurel
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RE: Getting rid of Quack Grass or ... - 8/16/2009 11:34:22 AM
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plant lover
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Joined: 8/16/2009
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I found the answer to killing quack grass! Plant winter rye in it. In an old organic mag. insert, it told how to plow, plant buckwheat (because it has large leaves) to weaken the quack grass, then the next year plant winter rye. The rye is toxic to quack grass. I just seeded out my flower beds, mulched it, watered it in the fall. The next spring there was rye and no QG. But in 2 months the qg had come up alongside it, but not so much. The rye should be cut down so it can't seed itself everywhere. It is an annual. I will seed out again and repeat until the persistant qg is gone. I spread cardbd to plant a garden and plant my seeds in cardbd boxes (soda, butter etc.) and plant those in the cardbd. Mulch will only fertilize qc and it grows 7ft tall, if not on cardbd.
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