OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums General Discussion Forum Lawn Care & Maintenance Using Roundup At Half Rates On Common Couchgrass

G'day Folks.

In my last post on this matter -> https://outdoorking-forum.com.au/fo...weeds-best-way-to-remove.html#Post121015, I thought it best to clarify exactly what the process involves, in detail.

Firstly - Roundup: Active Constituents: 100g/L Glyphosate present as isopropylamine salt, if used correctly can be a very powerful tool, for those who like to keep their Common Couch home lawns, totally weed free.

Note: DO NOT apply if rain is expected within a 6 hour period. Do not disturb treated species for 7 days. And most certainly, don't use in windy conditions

Now there are 3 Full Strength recommended rates, and they are as follows:

1. Rate per 1 Litre of water - 20mL [used primarily for Annual Ryegrass, Buffalo Grass, Kikuyu, Nutgrass, Oxalis, Paspalum, Bindii [jojo], Sorrel and St. John's Wort et al.]

2. Rate per 1 Litre of water - 30mL [used primarily for Blady Grass, Couch Grass, Queensland Blue Couch, Paramatta Grass, Crab [Crowsfoot] Grass and, Onion Grass~All States except for S.A.]

3. Rate per 1 Litre of water - 40mL [used primarily for Blackberries et al.]

Note that the above rates will give you a Total Kill to the species mentioned along with many others, not mentioned.

So, how does it work on your Couch "Cynodon dactylon" lawns? The actual chemical itself is not a poison [nor does it have a Poison Schedule No.], in fact, it doesn't even have a UN number! I was once told by a very reliable source, that it works by tricking/preventing the plant/grass/weed etc., from photosynthesizing, and of course without photosynthesis, no above ground grown plants can survive. That is how you get the total kill effect. I have known of some highly regarded Golf Course Superintendents, in N.S.W, who have used this half-rate method on their Couch fairways, with amazing results.

All of this is possible, because most Couches on well established lawns are stoloniferous, and usually have relatively deep rhizomes, so, you can actually get away with using the chemical at Half-Rates, as per the table above, to end up with a weed free lawn.

In my case, I simply use a well cleaned "Weed 'n Feed" 5 Litre container, using the no. 2 option above, i.e., meaning I needed to put in 5 Litres of water and add 75mL of Roundup, along with a teaspoon [5mLs] of dish-washing detergent, which acts as a surfactant. I then give the container a very good, gentle shake, and go out and spray.

It is very important to remember that one application of this mixture [employing this half-rate method and whatever container size you use], will not be enough. You will need to do this 2, or perhaps even 3 times [depending on the infestation], to get the desired result [usually a week and a half between each spray & cut], and of course, you can only apply this method during the vigorous growing season, i.e., Early Spring-Late Spring-Very Early Summer. You should also be aware that your Couch, after the first application in some instances, may look a tad bedraggled. Just accept that, as things will quickly improve.

Below are a few pics I took today, after my first application of this mixture on our back-yard croquet lawn. You can clearly see the effect [i.e., the brown spots] this method has had in the weed eradication process. The lawn was double cut after a week and a half of the first spray, but it is going to need another application ASAP [and maybe even a third]. Finally, it is always a very wise thing to keep notes on when and where and what was sprayed, for future reference...

Once the end result looks good to your satisfaction and your Couch is "jumping out of the ground", spread some Shirley's No 17 Fertilizer [or whatever you use] on your lawn, water it in well and then when the time is right, [if you are using A SB 17" e.g.] start double cutting it [or however you mow], and your lawns will be the envy of all your neighbours.

I hope this post helps you, on how to use this excellent and powerful tool...

mice_elf

Here I have used GLY-4 [Round-Up] at half of the recommended strength with two results. This level is actually mention on the label for growth regulation of perennial grasses. Now for broadleaf control I use 2-4-D which also controls our wild garlic. Locals calls it wild onions but I know better.

Annual Grasses are reduced if not eliminated.

Second its acts like a growth on perennial grasses thus reducing the frequency of cuttings.

I was plagued by our sage grass which was taking my field of Tall Fescue. After the first year the sage grass was nearly gone and the second year pretty eliminated it. Of course there will always be few bunches around from wind blown seeds.

Here is one key thing the instructions are for one acre applications so just using a hand sprayer can result in horrible results as you can easily over apply it.

C'day there AVB,

And many thanks for replying to my post.

I can only assume that you are talking about USA Roundup labels containers in your post.

I'll try to explain, the basic meaning of my post,

1. Using the rates I provided, will have a detrimental effect an most grasses that have a fibrous root system. These include Poa annua, Lollium perenne, Sporabilis africanus, Digitari didactyla, Elusine indica, to name a few.

2. The same rates will also have an effect on most flatweeds, such as Hypochaeris radicata, Trifolium repens, Cyperus rotundus, although several sprays will be reqiured for this one,
Soliva sessilis, Plantago lanceolata, Daucus carota, Taraxacum, Oxalis corniculata and many more.

If you are talking about the instructions for 1 acre applications, I refer you to the statement I made regarding some N.S.W. Golf Course Surerintendents, that have used this half-rate method on their Couch Grass fairways [or the U.S.A term for that is I believe Bermuda Grass], in which the correct amount of water and Roundup were added to the spray tank, after the spray nozzles output were calculated and pre-set to ensure the unit and speed of travel, as such, were set to deliver exactly that was required to do the job.

Having said that, my post was aimed for folks who have a backyard & front Common Couch lawn, who just want to get rid of any weed infestation they might have, using any container they can connect their hose to, using the guide in my post to work out their rate. Note: There are not many of us who have one acre properties in the urban regions of Sydney, although I could be wrong about that...