How Do We Manage INVASIVE STILT GRASS on Our Land?
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- Опубліковано 7 жов 2021
- In this video, I talk about an invasive grass call Japanese Stilt Grass that has been in WV for decades. It is all over our farm and grows very well in our forest soil. US Forestry claims it is one of the more destructive species when looking at native ecosystems.
Article I used as reference:
www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/p...
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So, you need more pigs and we all need more bacon. Total win all around.
I own a habitat restoration company (Bending Branches Underbrushing). In south western PA and north central WV, it's a huge problem along with autum olive and tree of heaven. I do a lot of silvo-pasture restoration and have found a few good ways to tackle it. Obviously taking a forestry mulcher creates lots of open area that the stilt grass loves. I highly recommend planting a cool season grass like winter wheat to get a jump on the stilt grass. Absolutely don't cut or graze on the new grass. I never mow mine below 8". This has been helping. Some studies also suggest that a pre-emergant application of crab grass herbicide is highly effective in targeting the stilt grass. I'm very interested in the pig idea. As far as I know with goats, that's the last thing they will want to eat. Another very important thing to remind people is that if you do try and mow it down over the spring and summer, it will start to go to seed earlier that typical. Even with forestry mulching and a think bed of mulch, I've seen stilt grass pop up. I'm getting ready to get on some smaller areas of my WV farm this weekend with the weed whacker to beat back what I'm able. Great video BTW and I love the silvo-pasture!!!!!
Hey Troy! Wonderful topic for video. I touched on this a bit in one of my videos a couple of months ago. Here in Southeastern Pennsylvania, it is rampant. Everything you said about it is true. In my years of study for land management and landscape design, it is always been a hot topic! Unfortunately, here in southeastern Pennsylvania, we do get it growing rather prolifically even in full sun environments.
One of the points that a lot of people forget is that due to the huge population of whitetail deer traversing this part of the country, their physical disturbance of the soil is a stimulant for germination of those seeds. Because the seeds are so small, they are essentially right at the surface of the soil. The deer trodding over that soil is all it takes to get things going. It's fascinating to see aerial video of land in our area, and you can actually see where the deer paths are based on stilt grass germination.
I have typically advised people over the years to mow or weed whack it down very low to the ground well before any seed heads form. To in our area, this would typically be in July at the latest. It may have to be done again in late August or early September depending on the climate that year. Once that's done, I suggest seeding over with a more desirable ground cover, and or covering heavily traveled trail areas with a thick layer of wood chip.
By the way, I could never sell my wife on the pig idea, lol! Take good care!
Mike Morgan (Outdoors with the Morgans) have talked about the weed/grass. The amount of grass in his woods (at least some places) is quite massive. Sure, it looks nice with a lawn among the trees. But I guess that it is like "the yellow stuff", warm and nice at first but then it gets cold and nasty...
How about Bison/Wicent, could they eat it?
Not sure how bison would respond. Probably like the other ruminants
I live in south-central Pennsylvania and I’ve taken an interest in this stuff growing all over my lawn as well. Have to agree with the tolerance for differing pH values. One section of my lawn is very acidic and little will grow there other than stilt grass. A section of ground right along my driveway where a good bit of icemelt is put down (bad depressions in it cause ice puddles that freeze) during the winter time grows nothing BUT stilt grass. Very interesting and informative video, thanks!
I hate this crap
Couple things. We have it here as well. I got pretty good control of it by letting the pigs graze it down late in the year then overseeding a winter crop like annual rye. the rye would already be established and growing by spring when the invasives get started from seed. Of course it controls it, not eliminates it. If you think the pigs may be helping distribute it, float test some manure after theyve grazed it a few days. If theyre there, youll find em. Then see if theyll sprout. Of note, genetics of course play a large part in graze-ability with pigs. They dont all graze the same. Some dont graze at all...
Very interesting topic. I wish I had some input. It’s amazing to me the breadth of knowledge one can acquire through homesteading. It’s like a practical PHd in ecology and agriculture.
Hey Troy hey Kelly I know outdoors with the Morgans he’s been looking at his stilt grass problem maybe you could reach out and talk to him and get a dialogue going I’m gonna suggest he come over and look at this episode of yours
Every time you reference "The boat meadow" I just laugh. I get it and think I understand why its still there. Keep up the good work. Love your content. :)
Glad y’all are feeling better
Been watching old episodes while you were away
Troy very very interesting. It's amazing what you've seen and what you've observed.
I would be happy to come out and "take care" of the Stilt Grass. I'm sure like every other plant I try to grow I will kill it.
It is the only thing growing in our garden this year thanks to the deer!
This is a great video. Full of information and presented really well.
We’ve got it on our property here in the north piedmont of NC down near the creek and further down towards the Haw River where the woods are triple Canopy in summer. I’ve seen it grow to 5 ft in some sections beyond our property. Lots of shade and water. The Forrest service is right, the best time to get rid of it is before it seeds out by pulling it up by hand. We do a different section each year
Which makes
It sort of Manageable. Having hogs down there would Make it a big mess.
Fantastic video. Being a middle TN resident and land owner, I will be looking for this now to understand my problems. I’m sure it is thick here because we started it.
As always, I love these videos talking about land management and species. This one was extra special because it local to me. Thanks Troy, keep it up.
Loved your story about how the "boat meadow" got its name. Too funny!!!
Seems like your plan is good. Follows the basics of management: remove what you don't want, replace with something that will compete.
Someone else suggested annual rye grass; it's a fast germinator and can start early, so that sounds like a good option. But maybe also consider perennial grasses, like fine fescue (good in shade), or some other shade-tolerant low cover that's perennial. Then you could use a pre-emergent herbicide to help reduce the competition from the stilt grass, at least once the perennials have been somewhat established.
Outstanding answer! Thanks - much appreciated…
Very interesting and I think you are onto something as I have found almost nothing a pig will not eat and fatten from.
Thanks for the info
very informative thanks
Thank you for the video
In my region of coastal Virginia nothing feeds on this durn stuff. It pulls up easily but you have to pull it before it goes to seed. You can’t chop & drop or use it for compost. It must be burned or bagged. Deer can spread it by the seeds sticking to their coats. It’s seed bank can survive in the soil for 5 years
Have it bad on my 55 acre mini farm. The logging trucks brought it in before I bought the place according to the neighbor. Crab grass Pre-Emergent works well. Lowes was clearing out 50lb bags of it last year for $8 a bag. I grabbed a pallet of it and spread it out at the 2 acre home site and it worked well. Here is the trick though. Stilt Grass germinates early, so you need to put it down in Mid to late Feb. When I'm clearing to make pasture, I rake the area removing the 1" or so of top soil into a large pile (removing the seed bank) then immediately seed the area with Kentucky 31/Rye or whatever. This has worked well for me. Hope this helps someone. If you need to spot treat a lawn, Acclaim Extra kills it and won't harm the grass but it's like liquid gold-> very expensive.
Very interesting thanks
Keep it mowed before it goes to seed. Every time I go out in the yard I pull some up & bag it. Don’t try to compost it. Stilt grass can flourish in sunlight if it gets away from you.
Very interesting thank you
Stepped in pig poop. I like that you keep it real. 🙂
We have the same problem with the Stilt grass. I have seen it does not like chips from my chipper or being driven over by the tractor. I did get frustrated and used the torch on a small area but the chance of fire in the forest is something I don’t want to think about.
I did read that Walnut is a natural herbicide and haven’t tried it yet but will soon. Based on your video I guess I won’t know what works until next year.
My neighbor bought sod for his lawn and actually set his lawn out with some weird thick, carpet like grass that loves shade. He gave me a couple of plugs of it for my lawn and I put just 3 or 4 plugs in and it is now taking over my lawn, a couple of years after we wet the sod plugs out. Now we have deer every evening that come out of the hill and lay on those grass plugs because they are much softer than the rest of the lawn.
This is very interesting.....
In Australia we firewood which is much the same. It has thousands of seeds in each flower and boats clean in out
Very interesting, maybe there is no documentation on stilt grass as it pertains to pasture management. You may be...the first man to actually talk about this on public media. I have seen Joel Salatins technique and seems like your approach may very well be effective
There is a product called Acclaim that specifically targets stilt grass and nothing else.
The issue is that if you miss the period before it comes to seed then you have to do repeated treatments every year. And Acclaim is about $100 for a pretty small bottle.
I’ve seen where goats can clear out every thing in there pasture, because of how goats grind (with their teeth) everything they eat, any seeds will be destroyed therefore what passes thru to goat-poop isn’t able to grow back. Do pigs also grind there food with their teeth as they eat?
Pigs wouldn’t be a thorough as a goat. These seeds are so small not sure even a goat would get 100%
@@RedToolHouse congratulations on getting to the 75k plus mark.
Deer are browsers, which means they prefer herbs and bushes as forage. You can't count on them keeping any grass under control. They will only eat grass as a last resort (starvation). Grazers, such as cows and goats will eat grass as their first option. Pigs and sheep are non-discriminate, which means the will eat everything. but even they are likely to choose the tastier stuff before they go for the grass. Grass is very low in nutrients, so it takes multiple stomachs to digest it properly.
my sheep won't eat eat, even when they're really hungry!
Nice job... Glad the pigs like it.
Wife was shopping the other day and the 30pk of sausage she usually buys has went from $8 up to $12. May be a good time to get some more meat growing.
Thanks for the video. I was going to try to use pigs or goats to take out our stilt grass next year in our forest to see if they would have an impact. My neighbor sprays to try to keep the stilt grass down but as far as I can tell it isn't very effective.
unfortunately, my goats won't touch it
@@jskurtz1968 You would think there's something that eats it.
My sheep and cows have taken care of my problem. I’m in SE KY. I started off with both cows and sheep in the woods to trample it. Now it’s gone and I just run the sheep. But the sheep like to eat it as well.
my sheep won't eat it. how did you get yours to do that?
Just moved to West Virginia and I'm renting in Charleston till I find some property I like, was wondering if you have that strange vine infestation I'm seeing all over the place here?
That stuff I'd all over my ground down by the woods and fence rows in Kentucky.
Just a thought for you, I'm not looking for answer, do the seeds survive and thrive after passing thru the pigs in the manure?
Any evidence of them pooping out the seeds and help spread it to other pastures? I think you can disc and plant the area at the right timing and it will help compete. I’ve had good results in food plots doing this.
1919, good luck brother. I don’t know what to tell you. Introduce ferrel pigs, since pigs like stilt grass. Only one problem: pigs like Birds poo out seeds in another location.
we have that here in ritchie county
also troy....does the state have a program to get rid of it.?
i probly should have watched the entire video before comminting....lol you did a great job of exsplaining my qeustions was answerd
according to Penn. state goats will not eat it as it has very low nutritional value.
Good info. Share a link if you happen to have one
Do you practice Salatin-style rotation for your pigs? Maybe that would be a long-term solution. If the pigs can really clear out a given space, and something else can grow in their place, then it seems worth a shot. Salatin writes how his fields began producing much better grass after the soil improved from this form of rotation.
May be worth checking out Farmbuilder who has pigs in the woods and uses Salatin techniques.
Yes, we rotate our pigs similar to Salatin and Jordan. I have spoken/visited both operations. They have a little less slope to deal with but we practice similar methods
I find this a interesting topic and wondered if the Himalayan beef would munch on it since you took me to a farm with those fine little cows. Maybe big little cows a you all pointed out them beef did well on poor ground. I would like to know the actual food value/nutritional values. I am guessing as to when mowed looks blackish from matting and rotting quick. You all might start herds of them in your forests down there. Checked of course as if not done so would be a whole new set of issues. So its down in the teens here mornings and no sign of stilt grass or any japanese setting up trading posts either. We have crab grass and its impossible to get out as any node or root will take root to grow including the short little inch long pieces of the roots turned up for the sun to burn or dry it enough to rake and burn. I am on this side of the soil as well so no new whiner complaints
do stilt grass seeds pass through the pigs and come out in the pig stool and is it still viable?
Good question. Would have to do a detailed study to prove one or the other.
@@RedToolHouse thank you Troy
Do chickens eat the seeds?
Pigs eat Stillgrass wow cool show! I learn more good.
Could allow sheep to come in during the spring and summer
My goats like it too
My problem is dog’s bane hemp. That stuff wicked and almost impossible to remove.
Shiso is my bane!
I like Katahdin Sheep
What about goats will they not eat it and keep it from growing tall
That stuff is all over.
Stiltgrass, kudzu, sars, and covid..... Just more reasons to be a protectionist! 👍😉🤟😜
Don't forget stinkbugs!, Ash Bore beatle
@@MAM-cy3yy guess everything we as Americans get ,....
comes from another country!
(no joke,...no sarcasm )
I wonder if goats would eat it. Goats would not tear up the soil as bad and are little lawnmowers.
Update: my sheep love it, so not so invasive to me, it grows in full cover like a weed and they go straight to it.
my goats won't eat it
@@jskurtz1968
So since this comment, Ive moved onto 20 acers and got sheep, they love the stuff. So I know my sheep will eat it at least.
@@CopperStateCustomAdmin Good to know! I think my goats are too spoiled. :)
its everywhere I dont see how it can be stopped
Look like deer on my property eat even pawpaw and fig leaves, but not stiltgrass
I hear there is a great animal feed, its called Kudzu...
You could be on to something with the oink-oinks takin out the invasive species. Good on ya bro!!!
"stilt grass...thats adorable" .......said the russian knapweed
Troy you are a funny man I really enjoy your videos
I've tried spots of scalping with the mower it in late August before it seeds and that seems to help but I need 5 years to know for sure, lol. There is also a 5ftx100ft strip of my yard I decided to stop mowing 3 years ago and let it become edge of woods again. Gets tons of sun and the stilt grass in that strip is insanely thick. More than anywhere else on the property. Doesn't seem to be any good answers out there.
So it burns easily
Like kudzu
There is one way to help control it GOATS. they will eat !! but that would mean all new fence which would hurt the pockets !! Lol. 🍻
And then the goats become a problem and the wheel goes round and round. If one looks at shooting of wild dogs, cats and pigs in Australia one can think about what can happend if man introduce animals. Good luck, we have massive problems with imported whitetailed deers. They really like it in our Finnish woods...
Actually all I use is 8 strands of polywire. Goats just require 2-3 weeks in a training pen to acclimate to electric. No different than pigs really.
@@jbaker4900
Does that work in a bigger scale also? I mean thousands and thousands of acres in the whole east part of the USA?
I really don't know why I ask these questions (not even drunk...) when I am "on the other side of the earth"... All the best to you!
Goats will eat that grass down..plus provide milk
Will goats eat it? Goats seam to eat everything in front of them like pigs
Probably not. Mine prefer leaves, honeysuckle, and cedar bark
My question is, how can we use it to make money.
Jerk turkey stilt grass!
A small herd of goats?
Sorry, I was just trying to be a comedian and I'm not very good at it!
Wait - not from China but Japan!
Why is Asian grass still grass bad if pigs eat it?
I have been in WV for six weeks and now I understand why it's wild to get in and wonderful to get out, it's back to beautiful Pennsylvania for me! You can keep those horrible roads and poor housing stock.
Every state has horrible roads and poor housing stock somewhere. You must not have been in the MANY beautiful places in WV. I'm a native FL beach girl and oh my - WV has BEAUTIFUL breathtaking areas!!
Wv is not for the faint of heart sometimes. I remember the PA turnpike in the 90s. Thought I lost a kidney bouncing down that terrible surface.
@@RedToolHouse TROY, the PA Turnpike is a smooth highway now! You won't loose a kidney but you could loose your savings account with the price of tolls from Pgh. to Philadelphia! 'n there goin up again!
What eco system are you talking about it’s all vegetation and it’s not destroying your habitat it’s changing your habitat because the animals will go to the place they need it will move the animals to a new terrain and the grass grows and new creatures come in to eat it.
Best way to destroy the stilt grass... let the government manage it.
That works every time 😳
Have you ever considered goats? I head they eat everything.
my goats will not eat it
Ahhh. You're gonna need more pigs.
Goats eat all grasses get goats and let them eat