Japanese stilt grass

[mikmaze]

I have a spot to plot for a fee, woods were logged a couple years back and the part shade/ moist soil has a dreaded item showing its ugly face, Japanese stilt grass, simple enough, doesn't look too durable, but I don't have a ton of time and was hoping to disc, throw and grow. Seed will be purple top turnip, winter rye, and medium red clover. Figure between the three they will find their home and do well based on sunlight reaching them. They will offer up a reason for the deer to stop on by more often for a bite to eat. After the leaves fall the area will get a heckuva lot more sun, and the WR should do well. Just worried about the stilt grass, how bad is it going to come back if I disc it? too many stumps and roots to plow, not enough time to spray and kill. so it will be what it can. Anyone have luck with the method?

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I think you might be better off spraying and throwing the seed later that same day without disturbing the soil. The round-up will kill the existing weeds and you can plant immediately without any issues. I don't know anything about Japanese stilt grass, but I've found that disking an area up once usually brings up lots of weeds that will grow with food plot seed. killing the vegetation with round-up and simply spreading seed doesn't seem to cause as many weeds to sprout. you might need to seed a little heavier if you go that route though. Good luck.

 

[Bill]

I'm with Ben. It dies really fast with gly. Kind of a delicate grass. I have some in my yard. It grows pretty fast after mowing. Not sure what disking will do..

Having said that its pretty close to the end of its growing season in NJ. Shorter days and cooler nights seem to stunt then kill it.

 

[mikmaze]

my issue with spray, spread seed, is the risk of a fair number of seed to end up not on the soil surface, probably get knocked to the ground with the next heavy rain, just a touch risky. Sure would be easier driving the 7 miles there with the sprayer on than the wide disc on those skinny roads. I have the gly, decisions decisions. If I had some scythe I bet that would burn it down by sundown, that stuff mixed with gly is amazing.

 

[Bill]

I wouldn't worry about it with the rain NJ has been getting. Heck drag a 2X6 around after spreading just to shake things up.

One word of caution with that stuff, be careful walking in it. It will completly cover logs and stumps on the ground. I've fallen in it a few times.

 

[mikmaze]

got me convinced, spray and throw it will be.

 

[Tap]

One word of caution with that stuff, be careful walking in it. It will completly cover logs and stumps on the ground. I've fallen in it a few times.

You got that right.
I needed to clear the access roads of all the fallen ash that were blocking and preventing mowing. In places, the stilt was over 2 feet high and completely covered the dead logs. It made moving around with a chainsaw a bit hazardous.
Man, I hate stilt grass. There are areas in our woods that are acres of a total blanket of the stuff. I've not yet had any difficult blood trails (from marginal hits) through the stuff, but I imagine that the crap would be miserable for blood trailing and finding dead deer. Yet another invasive to hate. My property is overrun with bad stuff, it's getting worse and I can't keep up with it. Depressing.