Cardboard/several layers of newspaper

Al

I`ve found newspaper doesn`t work on this weed.

I`m trying to cover a half acre, which would be a lot of cardboard (half acre x 3-5 layers...)

Covering half an acre is going to involve a lot of material, regardless of what it is.

What weed is this? Please don't say well established bind weed ;)

Why didn't you say so (.5 acre)? What weed? Sorry, but we can't read your mind. Lolol

Al

It`s canary reed grass.
CR is found in moist places, it`s a cultural issue. However I have changed the environment (drainage, etc) and it persists without change.

It is SO BAD! I won`t, but there have been moments of temptation to use roundup and be over with it.

If you have half an acre of the stuff I am sorry to say it, but unless you RoundUp the stuff you aren't going to get rid of it unless you are rich and can afford to cover 1/2 acre with something that will starve it for light for a full season or more OR you have the energy level of an Olympic athlete (a gold medal winner, not a bronze medal winner) and can dig up every last portion of roots.

Even if you did resort to RoundUp you wouldn't likely clear it all with a single spray.

Sorry, but this stuff is an invasive plant that state governments are spending cash trying to control for a reason. It doesn't respond well to a firm talking to.

Anything will die if light is excluded long enough.
Yes, half an acre is a challenge but it needs to be done.

If anyone has any ideas of what can be used to smother- that also breaks down in time- I`d love to hear it!

If you can find large sheets of cardboard, appliance boxes, mattress cartons, etc, it would be easier than newspaper.

Would burlap smother it?? Possibly burlap covered in a thick layer of mulch??

If anyone has any ideas of what can be used to smother- that also breaks down in time- I`d love to hear it!

Newspaper and cardboard. I get that your area is large, but what is your budget for controlling this invasive?

Newspaper and cardboard are free if you don't mind a little asking around.

IF you are rich you could just use black plastic sheeting and while not biodegradable you could pull it all up once it's job was done. I would cost hundreds (probably thousands) of dollars for a half acre, but what is your budget?

The Mirel bio-plastics are interesting, but I don't know if they sell it in large sheets or how much that would cost.

Here is a link that might be useful: mirel bioplastics

Maybe a goat? It makes good hay or forage.

We've often prepared new ground using buckwheat followed by an overwinter cover of annual ryegrass, which works very well as a weed supprssor. I've read claims that buckwheat will smother nutgrass if planted 2-3 times in succession, ie till, plant, till, plant etc. People dismiss this notion but I've never heard of anybody actually trying it and failing. Maybe it will work on canary reed grass.

i know this is a year behind but i like researching stuff.

sooo.....

they sell wholesale corrugated cardboard in rolls: http://www.fast-pack.com/bflute.html

a half acre is 21,800 square feet.
if my math is right you would need aprox. 22 of the 250'x48" rolls.

it would cost a little over $1,000 dollars. before shipping. i'm curious how much shipping would cost for that many rolls. i got a giant roll of corrugated cardboard a couple of years ago, kind of accidentally. it was a beast to move.

http://www.biobagusa.com/compostable-film.html

This is an Ag product for farming that biodegrades to 95% in 4 months. They have lots of cool products for the home too.

I've been shopping around myself for biodegradable landscape fabric mainly for my container vegetable plants. Here's what I found at Lowes store: "Organic Garden Fabric" by Greenscape. This is 100% biodegradable & listed in the "Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)."

The Lowes website page link for this organic fabric:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_376726-23132-208322_0_?productId=3606428&Ntt=weed+fabric&pl=1ätURL=%2Fpl__0_s%3FNtt%3Dweed%2Bfabric&facetInfo=

I also like their "Burlap" roll (by Greenscape too). As an alternative to using a Capillary Watering Mat, I plan on trying this Burlap as a wicking or water mat to feed my container plants.

The Burlap is also sold at Lowes store, here's the link below:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_119195-23132-606120_0__?catalogId=10051&productId=3454566&UserSearch=burlap+roll&Ntt=burlap+roll&N=0amp;langId=-1&storeId=10151&rpp=24

Here's some information of what Burlap is --which is made from the Jute plant. Link from Wikipedia --about Burlap:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hessian_(cloth)

If you have it fenced in, then goats & pigs are the way to go.
The burlap works well on most grasses & annuals.
Cardboard boxes are good too.
If you have a tractor, turn the grass, then cover it.
Or use an organic spray to slow the growth & kill some of it then plow it under & cover it. Some clear plastic sheets will work & the edge can be hold in place with soil.
It is a shame you do not live in Columbia, S.C. I could get a truck load of paper boxes for you, burlap too.

Put a couple horses on it.

dirtslinger2, are you still around? What did you do? Results?

Yes do tell, dirtslinger2.

Did the half acre.
First I mowed it short, then repeated sprays all last summer of hort vinegar. That is every couple weeks or even more frequent.
All the way from spring till Oct. Basically the burnt foliage excluded light, weakening it.
Then, tilled it thoroughly.
Went to the cardboard recycling pile at the dump and brought home multiple loads of heavy cardboard- placed it in several layers where the rows were to be placed (this is berry bush and vines all in rows).
Then... built raised beds on top of the cardboard rows- THEN... rolled out Biotelo (?) the corn "plastic" that breaks down 100% in time. Poked holes and planted the berries etc, then mulched heavily.
So far so good!!!
Not sure what to do in between rows so have been spraying still with vinegar- but will likely plant clover, as it's good for bees and can be mowed, and may even smother canary reed seedlings...

If I were to do it again I'd us thick black plastic to exclude light for a full season.

rosin paper ....its 10 bucks a roll,for 3'x167'

Have you checked with your local Soil & Water Conservation Service? Or with your local NRCS?

Around here, both agencies assist people get rid of large amounts of nastiness such as you have.

On your walkways, might I suggest woven polypropylene weed barrier, pinned down with metal staples?

I do this with my raised beds, running the fabric up the sides a bit, then moving to a heavy mulch where the actual plants are. Wide enough to pull a garden cart.

I don't know if Canada has anything similar to our Soil Conservancy, a gvt agency that sells inexpensive trees and shrubs for wind breaks along with the where-with-all to grow them successfully.

But even if you have to pay full retail, you can buy a 100 m roll for Below is a pic of my garden in early spring, the weed barrier is at least 8 years old and starting to look a bit faded, but it still does the job. Keeps the weeds down, no muddy feet.

I haven't read the whole thread, but I had a large area with an invasive grass that wouldn't go away no matter what I did and I abandoned my vegetable garden for a couple of years when I didn't have time to struggle with it any more. Then I got the idea to cover the entire area with clear plastic. We had it left over from an old ice skating rink. We left it on there the entire season and luckily it was a dry sunny season that year and it just baked the thing dead. It worked very well. We still have a very small area that was under the dripline of the tree and had more shade, where it still persists but is quite manageable now. Of course I didn't have a half acre to cover.

Otherwise, I would highly recommend cardboard. It is definitely biodegradeable. And you can usually get lots of it free from many places, which we have done by just calling around and asking. Appliance stores, furniture stores have large boxes they throw away all the time. And you could cover that with a thick layer of bark mulch. It may take a whole season to break down.