Neighbor's Johnson Grass

[Native Hunter]

I am surrounded on two sides by neighbors who have fescue hay fields that are being taken over by Johnson Grass. Actually, the way that they manage their hay fields contributes to the JG spreading. In late spring they cut and roll the fescue, and this is just about the time the JG wants to start growing, so this opens up the canopy for it to thrive. When they cut and roll again in the fall, the JG has already seeded before that time.

All of my land is separated from them by heavy grown up fence rows except for a 200 yard stretch that is open. The grown up fence rows have stopped it from coming on to my land to date. However, there are clumps getting close to my unprotected 200 yard stretch. I have a 2 acre field of great switch grass that the JG is moving toward. I can't afford to build a 10 foot wall and there is not enough time to get a grown up tree buffer started to stop it.

My neighbor at this spot is a great guy and a relative. He doesn't want JG but is older and lives away. He isn't going to do anything to stop it from spreading in his fields..

He gave me permission to spray any clumps I wanted with gly in his fields by driving around with my truck. He realizes that some will drip down and could kill fescue too, but told me I had permission to do what I wanted.

I see this as just a short term solution. There are a few clumps within 50 yards of my line right now that I could spray and set it back, but long term I know this is not a solution.

If I did get it on the 2 acres, I have a fence buffer on my land that would keep it from spreading further, but I hate to lose this 2 acres to JG. It is flat, fertile and the best NWSGs on the place.

I'm looking for any solutions that you guys might have....................

To the best of my knowledge, I don't have a single plant of JG on my place right now.

 

[wklman]

Can you get him to plant part or all of it into alfalfa? Still a cash crop but no Johnson grass.

 

[Native Hunter]

Can you get him to plant part or all of it into alfalfa? Still a cash crop but no Johnson grass.

That is a possibility I hadn't thought of. I would have to do the planting and bear the expense, but it might be worth it. A strip of alfalfa 40 yards wide would probably be enough buffer to keep the JG away from me. Any that got into the alfalfa could be killed with cleth. He has a guy who comes in and takes care of the hay, so he would have to buy into the plan as well, but he should not mind.

Another thing I thought of was for me to pay him for whatever the hay would be worth on a buffer zone and I could mow it whenever necessary in the summer to keep the JG subdued in the buffer zone. His land is easy access from my land. All I would have to do is open his gate which is located at my gate and drive into the field. It would take me 20 minutes to mow a buffer and I could probably keep the JG subdued by mowing a couple of times in the summer.

I shouldn't knock him out of but about one or two rolls of hay by doing this and could pay him for it.

 

[CentralKyHunter]

Guys in this area are using weed sponge sprayers. Here is a small atv version

 

[Native Hunter]

That might just do the trick Lance. If you know a good dealer in KY who sells the pull behind models send me the info. I can also check locally. If I could hire someone without having to buy one it would be good too. My thoughts are that it wouldn't have to be done but every few years If it worked well.

Thanks for the idea.

 

[CentralKyHunter]

They can be rented here, would def be worth checking locally and not buying

 

[ALwoodsman]

I have the same problem except it is already at the fence and trying to cross.

 

[buckdeer1]

Surprised he still grows fescue for hay seems like everyone around here is growing big and little blue and you can spray plateau in that to kill JG,just sprayed some patches I missed last week don't know about spraying in fescue

 

[Frosted brassica]

Surprised he still grows fescue for hay seems like everyone around here is growing big and little blue and you can spray plateau in that to kill JG,just sprayed some patches I missed last week don't know about spraying in fescue

We are getting JG in places where we can only figure it was brought in by birds or deer. We see it a few hundred yards away on a neighboring place and then all of a sudden in the middle of a field. Anyone else think wildlife is moving it?


Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

 

[Native Hunter]

Surprised he still grows fescue for hay seems like everyone around here is growing big and little blue and you can spray plateau in that to kill JG,just sprayed some patches I missed last week don't know about spraying in fescue

That's not happening here. The only NWSGs planted in this area is in CRP or CREP and there is no harvesting of the hay.

 

[Native Hunter]

We are getting JG in places where we can only figure it was brought in by birds or deer. We see it a few hundred yards away on a neighboring place and then all of a sudden in the middle of a field. Anyone else think wildlife is moving it?


Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

It's possible. In the last few years I have found an occasional single plants in the 2 acre field I mentioned above but nowhere else. I watch for it with field glasses and it's easy to spot because of the height, seedhead and color. The few times I've spotted it I dug up the plants.

 

[Native Hunter]

The way JG has been spread the most is from farm implements that have been where JG grows. People carry it to new places.

Also buying hay is another way it gets spread.

I never bought hay or had anyone else with farm equipment on my place - with the exception of a drill when I planted NWSGs.

 

[Brushpile]

The solution is to plant trees along that 200 yard stretch. I shaded out JG with Hybrid Poplar, but recommend Mulberry, which is also a fast growing tree. JG is easily shaded out. Chemical solutions will be never ending and costly.

 

[dgallow]

That is a possibility I hadn't thought of. I would have to do the planting and bear the expense, but it might be worth it. A strip of alfalfa 40 yards wide would probably be enough buffer to keep the JG away from me. Any that got into the alfalfa could be killed with cleth. He has a guy who comes in and takes care of the hay, so he would have to buy into the plan as well, but he should not mind.

Another thing I thought of was for me to pay him for whatever the hay would be worth on a buffer zone and I could mow it whenever necessary in the summer to keep the JG subdued in the buffer zone. His land is easy access from my land. All I would have to do is open his gate which is located at my gate and drive into the field. It would take me 20 minutes to mow a buffer and I could probably keep the JG subdued by mowing a couple of times in the summer.

I shouldn't knock him out of but about one or two rolls of hay by doing this and could pay him for it.

Graze it at 21-28 d intervals or sooner after haying. JG prefers 28-36d rest....> 36d rest promotes strong root establishment and plant proliferation. Most JG here is on the county side of the fence row....slowly getting it to increase which is what we want!