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Japanese Stilt Grass (Microstegium vimineum) or Nepalese Browntop is easily identifiable by looking for a distinctive silvery stripe down the center of the upper lead surface. Leaves are around 3 inches long, lance-shaped and a bit asymmetrical. It spreads quickly, and will out-compete and displace native plants and tree seedlings. It likes to sprawl and will grow slowly throughout the summer, reaching heights of 2 - 4 feet if enough light and water is available. Since it is an annual, preventing the plants from setting seed is all you need to do to eliminate the species from an area. [One blog said seeds can remain viable for 4-7 years.] It has shallow roots and is easily pulled.
Late summer yields flowers, and soon after fruits mature on the plant. It is found mostly in shady locations in moist or dry soil. It can be pulled from moist soil or mowed in late summer before the seeds are produced. The best way to control Japanese Stilt Grass is with very early spring pre-emergence herbicides. It can also be managed in the summer with certain post-emergence herbicides that are labeled for the control of summer annual grassy weeds. Hand pulling: If you have a small or manageable patch of Japanese stilt grass, hand pulling is a viable option. This annual grass is capable of producing a prodigious number of seeds that end up in the soil seed bank. Physical removal can encourage seed from previous seasons to germinate and grow in the disturbed soil, so you need to be mindful of when you pull the grass. Mowing: For large areas, mowing or weed-whacking are good options. These methods are best done late in the season (August through early September), before the grass flowers and forms seeds.
Pre-emergent crabgrass preventer:
Ohio State and the National Park Service recommended the following which are EPA restricted to licensed landscapers.
When to Apply:
Spraying and Burning: Will also kill lawn At www.nyis.info/index.php?action=invasive_detail&id=32 they say, "The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has been battling Japanese Stilt Grass for many years in some of its Parks and has developed a couple new/experimental control techniques. Park Biologists have proven that covering Stilt Grass with 4-6 inches of mulch (chips, leaf litter) will prevent Stilt Grass from emerging." FS1237: Japanese Stiltgrass Control in the Home Lawn and Landscape (Rutgers NJAES) hoeing or pulling stiltgrass early in the season (before August) disturbs soil which can stimulate germination of new plants from the seed bank. Constant mowing such as in a lawn will cause stiltgrass to grow at a lower height but still set seed. A more successful control strategy is to mow plants just before flowering (~early August in NJ) which cuts off the flowering culm before seed matures." Links: FS1237: Japanese Stiltgrass Control in the Home Lawn and Landscape (Rutgers NJAES) Controlling Non-Native Invasive Plants in Ohio Forests: Japanese Stiltgrass at Ohio State
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