Magazine - Weed of the Week - Field Woodrush

Scientific name

Family

Life cycle

Luzula campestris

Juncaceae

Perennial

Form / Appearance

Field woodrush (Luzula campestris) is a grass-like, perennial weed. Belonging to the rush family. This species is common in short turf and can frequently be found as a weed in lawns. It can be identified by its tightly clustereds flowers and creeping rhizomes and it broad dark green leaves.

Roots

Field woodrush has fibrous roots and creeping stolons that enables the plant to spread and vegetatively reproduce its self.

Flowers

Clusters of brown flower heads are borne on stalks from April to May. The flowers are formed on a slender stalk (20cm) and have a shiny brown appearance.

Leaves

The leaves don't have auricles but have distinct fringed edges that have colourless hairs. The name Luzula is derived from the Latin name for Glow-worm (luciola).

Reproductive method

The plant reproduces by seed and stolons

Habitat

It is common in acid conditions, especially where thatch (accumulated dead, fibrous material) has built up and increased acidity. Under such conditions grass growth is too weak to prevent this troublesome weed from establishing.

Field woodrush even grows in chalk and limestone areas where the upper layer of soil has become acidic, due to rainfall and acid-reaction fertilisers such as sulphate of ammonia.

Cultural Control

However, to eradicate the weed, liming is necessary. Apply ground chalk or ground limestone in late autumn or early winter, after mowing has ended, at 60g per sq m this will help raise the soil Ph.

Chemical Control

Apply selective broadleaf herbicides when plant growth is active. There are a number of products available for controlling broad leaf weeds in established turf.

These chemicals are best used when the weeds are actively growing, usually between April-October.

• Tritox (Contains 178g/L (16.2%w/w) MCPA 54.g/L(4.9%w/w) mecoprop-p and 15g/L (1.4%w/w) dicamba and potassium salts. Scotts.

• Intrepid 2. (Contains 20.8g/L dicamba,166g/L dichlorprop-p ans 166.5g/L MCPA). Scotts.

• Greenor. (Contains: 40g/L fluroxypyr, 20g/L clopyralid and 200g/L MCPA). Rigby Taylor.

• Bastion T. (Contains: 72g/L fluroxypyr and 300g/L mecoprop-p ). Rigby Taylor.

• Dormone (Contains 465g/L2,4-D(38.1%w/w) as the diethanolamine salt). A herbicide which can be used near water. Bayer Environmental Science.

• Supertox 30 (Contains 95g/L (8.8%w/w) mecoprop-p and 93.5g/L(8.7%w/w) as the diethanolamine salts). Bayer Environmental Science.

These herbicides are usually applied as a liquid using watering cans, knapsack sprayers and vehicle mounted sprayers.

Ensure you follow manufacturer's directions, health & safety and product data sheets, and comply with COSHH regulations when using these chemicals.

Herbicides are an effective tool where high quality turf is desired. However, they must be applied with care and accuracy and in the context of a good overall turf management programme. Before using any herbicide, carefully review the label for conditions of use including rates, methods of application, and precautions. Never use a herbicide in any manner contrary to its label and be sure that the herbicide will not injure the turfgrass species.