Reed canary grass in upland sites

Reed canary grass (Phalaroides arundinacea) is justly feared as a plant of wet places. However, reed canary grass is also capable of invading upland sites. In such sites it is generally fairly "well behaved", not causing major infestations. However, it does spread in these sites (its rhizomes are famous) and should be controlled.

Generally in upland sites it blends in with the other grasses and leafy forbs and is often missed until it is in flower. It can still be controlled when in flower, although it is a bit time consuming. Gather the flowering stems and tie them together with a piece of grass, then cut off the stems above the tie with a sharp clippers. Spray or pour concentrated glyphosate (20% active ingredient) down the hollow stems. In a few days to a week, the patch will have died and turned brown. (See photo).

The advantage of tieing the patch together is that all the stems can be cut with one swipe, saving time. The herbicide is confined to the reed canary grass, and does not harm surrounding "good" plants. The photo shows how selective one can be if one uses reasonable caution.