![]() The most effective method I have found in my own lawn is to spot treat it with glyphosate and dig it out. Mowing encourages KR Bluestem to spread out horizontally, so that is not an effective control method either. ![]() You can carefully spray herbicide on the KR Bluestem, but you’ll be left with a dead circle of grass in your lawn. Herbicides that are effective at killing grassy weeds will also kill desirable turfgrass. KR Bluestem can be tough to remove from a lawn, and it tends to spread in lawns that have thin turfgrass or poor nutrition. Native grasses and plants cannot compete with the thick stands of grass, creating a monoculture that drives out plant and insect biodiversity. King Ranch Bluestem is notorious for invading an area and dominating all other vegetation. KR Bluestem remained an important grass through terrible drought in the early 1950’s when farmers and ranchers were glad to have a grass that would hold onto the soil and provide some forage for cattle.Ī grass that started as a problem solver in the 1930s and 1940s is now considered an invasive species. Seed was released for commercial production in 1949, and King Ranch and Kleberg Bluestem were seeded to decrease soil erosion along highways, spillways, and dams, and it was seeded in depleted rangelands across Texas and Oklahoma. KR Bluestem, along with the similar Kleberg Bluestem, were found to be drought tolerant and provided forage for cattle. During the years of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, ranchers struggled to maintain pastures that were devastated by drought and overgrazing. The grass was first introduced to the King Ranch to be used in rangelands and pastures to provide forage for cattle and control erosion. It was introduced in Texas in 1924 at the Angleton Agricultural Research Service Station. KR Bluestem originated in China and was brought to California as early as 1917. King Ranch Bluestem is one of the six non-native species in Texas. Grasses like these are beautiful in the fall because their inflorescence, or flowering structure, really stands out. You might have seen big bluestem, little bluestem, or broomsedge bluestem along the roadsides or in native prairie areas. Texas is home to at least 27 species of bluestem grasses, and 21 of the species are native to Texas. KR Bluestem is a perennial grass that starts as a bunch-type grass and spreads by rhizomes and/or stolons. Of course, the KR Bluestem is at the front of my yard where it just waves to all the neighbors. At least it looks nice for a few days, and then the KR Bluestem grassy weed sends up a tall seed head. And mowing produces the immediate and satisfying result of a nice-looking lawn. I get some exercise pushing my mower around the lawn, and I enjoy the time outside with just the hum of my mower and my own thoughts. Control broomsedge in a manner that will not let seeds drift to other areas where they can take root and grow.Mowing my lawn is a chore that I do not usually mind doing. After cutting down the broomsedge grass, dispose of litter left behind– especially seed heads. Get rid of broomsedge in the lawn and nearby areas before seeds develop, encouraging more broomsedge grass to grow. The best way to kill broomsedge is manual removal. Broomsedge does not grow well in nitrogen-enriched soil. As effective broomsedge control includes proper fertilization, take a soil test to determine which amendments are necessary for thick, healthy turf grass on your lawn. ![]() Reseed thin patches of turf in the lawn as an effective means of broomsedge control. A lush lawn shades weed seeds and without sunlight, they cannot germinate and grow. Broomsedge grass grows best in poor soil and disperses an allelopathic chemical that keeps wanted plants from growing.įertilize turf at the right time is recommended for your particular grass. A lush and healthy lawn is less prone to invasion by the broomsedge plant. Prevention goes a long way in controlling broomsedge grass. The best way to get rid of broomsedge in the lawn is to stop it before it can spread. Turf grass that is thick and healthy can aid in broomsedge control and eventually the short-lived perennial may disappear, no longer creating issues in the landscape. Young plants are bluish-green, turning brown and dry in maturity.īroomsedge control is easier on the lawn than on the native pasture. This troublesome weed is identified by the hairy, flattened leaf sheaths growing from a basal crown with folded young leaves. You may wonder what broomsedge looks like. Broomsedge control is most easily applied through the cultural practice of removing seeds before they can disperse due to the fact that chemical control to kill broomsedge may damage portions of lawn grass. Broomsedge grass ( Andropogon virginicus), also called sage grass, is a perennial, native weed reseeding from the heads of the broomsedge plant.
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