Quackgrass in established turf

td_05 · May 9, 2016

Hello-

I live in Rapid City, South Dakota. I have an established yard, I'd say well maintained (fertilized, watered, mowed high etc etc). It's mainly Kentucky bluegrass. It's surrounded on three sides by open, natural unmaintained prairie. Quackgrass is invading on several different fronts!

I've read that roundup and reseed is usually the answer, but have read on this forum and other sources that certainty herbicide may be an option that would not harm the KGB. Other sources state that it's only safe for warm weather grasses.

If certainty isn't an option for me what other options can you guys suggest?

Thank You!

FdLLawnMan · May 10, 2016

Certainty is no longer an option for you for cool season grasses. Roundup and reseed is the only option but in your case it will be invaded again by the quack grass from the prairie in a few years.

1977212 · May 10, 2016

Print the old label and use it on cool season. pre-M doesn't effect quack seed, only dense turf can keep it away so much. It's not really a battle you can win.

And you brought up fertilizer, how much do you apply and when? Done a soil test?

td_05 · May 10, 2016

1977212 said:
Print the old label and use it on cool season. pre-M doesn't effect quack seed, only dense turf can keep it away so much. It's not really a battle you can win.

And you brought up fertilizer, how much do you apply and when? Done a soil test?

Thanks for the replies... What do you mean "print the old label and use it on cool season"?

I fertilized for the first time this season about 3-4 weeks ago with Menard's weed and feed 28-0-3. I applied it per the instructions. I plan to reapply every 3 weeks or so to optimize conditions to make it tough on the quack as you had eluded to, It's not really a battle I can win.

Any thoughts on a fertilizing regime that would be better?
I've never done a soil test. Recommendations?
Has any one had luck with the paint brush with round up to try to selective apply it to the quackgrass and minimize exposure to the KGB?

Thank you all for your advice!

1977212 · May 10, 2016

I sent you a message

DA Quality Lawn & YS · May 10, 2016

Certainty won't touch quack grass, don't waste your money. I've tried.....and died.
Roundup and reseed, and even then some quack may come back. Or resod...an expensive proposition.

Quack is the worst weed you can have, that or Canada Thistle

Skipster · May 10, 2016

1977212 said:
Print the old label and use it on cool season.

This is a tricky suggestion to make. On one hand, if the OP is just applying this to his own lawn and will not be applying it to other lawns, I don't think he'll be high on the Dept of Ag list for enforcement. The risk, though, would be that the OP can't go back to Monsanto and file a claim for compensation if the application injured his bluegrass lawn.

If the OP intends to apply this product to lawns other than his own, printing the old label is irrelevant. You are bound to follow the instructions on the label that was in effect during the production run of the product that you possess. Most of the time, this is simply the label that's on the container you got the material out of. If that label is missing, there's usually identifying markings on the container (a Lot # or something similar) that can be used to determine which label was in effect for the product you used. This part is why it's important to double-check labels on the product you receive, not just following the one you got online. You are bound to follow that label on the container, even if the one on the manufacturer website is different.

FdLLawnMan · May 10, 2016

DA Quality Lawn & YS said:
Certainty won't touch quack grass, don't waste your money. I've tried.....and died.
Roundup and reseed, and even then some quack may come back. Or resod...an expensive proposition.

Quack is the worst weed you can have, that or Canada Thistle

Wrong, I have eradicated quackgrass with Certainty but only under ideal conditions, quackgrass was tall and sticking up, used fine mist nozzles and calibration was perfect and sprayed twice. Certainty was a very difficult product to use. My results were complete eradication of tall fescue and quack to killing a lawn.

td_05 · May 10, 2016

Thanks to all for the feed back. I got soil sample kit today so that will be sent off. But according to local extension office they feel my soul will be fine in that soil quality in this area is quiet good. We ll see the results and I'll post for your feedback when they arrive.

I may dabble in the paint brush method in that I fertilized about a week ago and the 2 main arrives of concern are about 5ft x5ft and 4ft x20 feet respectively. If/when that fails I will plan to kill it all w round up vs greenhouse method w plastic tarp. Thoughts? I'd wait with either plan until August or so.

Next question is how to prevent this from happening again in future. Let's say I kill it all plant a kgb and all is well. Could I plant a 4 feet strip of tall orinmental grass around perimeter of yard to act as buffer zone and mitigate migration of quack in future? Any other feedback is appreciated. Thanks

Tony

RigglePLC · May 10, 2016

Not easy. I suggest hand-pulling, particularly during a wet soil condition so that you can try to pull out the long spreading roots and rhizomes; repeat often. After a few days of this, application of Roundup using a cotton swab will make sense, a 10 percent solution is plenty strong enough. Kills grass too--be selective. Repeat as needed. Certain times of the year--like early spring result in the quack growing up high above the good grass. Go to work then--easier at that time.
Short mowing may be a help. Tall grasses do not thrive when cut short. Also, a heavy overseeding with a highly-dense type of premium grass will compete intensely with quack. "Intrigue" for instance.
http://www.seedsuperstore.com/catalog/p-100048/intrigue-chewings-fescue

Quackgrass spreads mostly by long underground rhizomes, especially to thin areas. Keep the good grass very thick. A barrier of tall ornamental grass would not help much in my opinion. And the tall grass could escape into your yard. But a barrier of stones or a garden --both of which can be kept weed free will prevent the wild quack from spreading into your good grass.

DA Quality Lawn & YS · May 10, 2016

FdLLawnMan said:
Wrong, I have eradicated quackgrass with Certainty but only under ideal conditions, quackgrass was tall and sticking up, used fine mist nozzles and calibration was perfect and sprayed twice. Certainty was a very difficult product to use. My results were complete eradication of tall fescue and quack to killing a lawn.

Wrong, most guys on here won't have the luck you had. I'd avoid it due to high potential for substandard results.
Can't use it anymore anyway unless you have the old label product.

FdLLawnMan · May 10, 2016

DA Quality Lawn & YS said:
Wrong, most guys on here won't have the luck you had. I'd avoid it due to high potential for substandard results.
Can't use it anymore anyway unless you have the old label product.

I do not disagree but I have had some success with it and see big tine failures. It is an extremely difficult product to use. I have product with the old label and did a lawn loaded with tall fescue in the fall of 2014. Got rid of 95% of the fescue. Now it is starting to show up again and they want me to do it again. I explan everything to them and they don't care. They are willing get to take the risk so I do it and I charge big time.

klsgc · May 10, 2016

You guys might not believe me but I have had really good success with tenacity. 5 apps 1 week apart at 1/5 the max yearly amount. Apply in the fall. I have done it on 6 different properties. Control was between 60% and 99% in 1 season depending on the property. I don't even think quack is on the label. We found out by accident when spraying bentgrass a few years ago.

Quackgrass in established turf

td_05

FdLLawnMan

1977212

td_05

1977212

DA Quality Lawn & YS

Skipster

FdLLawnMan

td_05

RigglePLC

DA Quality Lawn & YS

FdLLawnMan

klsgc

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