# Recommendation for low input drainage area



## mooch91 (May 5, 2019)

All,

At the back corner of my property, I have a drainage easement with a swale. Total area is about 3000 sq ft. I keep it low input, chopping everything down at the beginning and end of the season and let it grow back up again through spring and summer.

Problem is that it's miserable to cut down. There's some grass under there, but most of the growth is wild raspberry briars, small walnut and sumac trees (amazing how big they get in a season), and thin reeds. Everything grows to 3-4 feet tall by the end of the season.

I'd like to get the area to be just a uniform, long grass, with some contrast to my TTTF/KBG lawn. My thought was to try to liberally spread Kentucky 31 tall fescue in this area come spring, and then when stuff starts going to hit it consistently with applications of triclopyr. I'm thinking this will let the grass dominate and keep the woody growth at bay. I would probably try to run a junk mower over it a couple of times a season.

Area in question is the area in red in the attached. Since Google took the picture, I have planted my lawn up to that point.

Other thoughts appreciated as well.

Thanks!


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## mowww (Jan 16, 2018)

Your plan sounds pretty good. I did the same on about 3,000 sq ft of smooth brome, multi flora rose, sumac, thistle, and general broadleaves and have good success with the smooth brome being clean and coming back year after year/snuffing out most broadleaves by year 3.

What type of grass is currently present? Consider any other grasses like fine fescue? I ask as it may be an opportunity for less top growth annually and can selectively use Segment or Fusilade to kill all other grasses.


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## mooch91 (May 5, 2019)

mowww said:


> What type of grass is currently present? Consider any other grasses like fine fescue? I ask as it may be an opportunity for less top growth annually and can selectively use Segment or Fusilade to kill all other grasses.


The area is former farm land, so likely whatever they would have used for forage or more likely what they would have grown and harvested for animal feed.

I'm open to other suggestions for a good grass for a low input area. I know the K31 is relatively available and shouldn't "spread" to my lawn which was what I was looking for.

Thanks!


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## mowww (Jan 16, 2018)

I'd be interested in what PSU extension would recommend for species and varieties in your area for low input.

Around here fine fescue makes sense but PSU would know best. If FF (chewings, hard, strong creeping red, sheep, etc) can do as well for you as it does in roadside blends here, you'd be in for a low maintenance treat: https://twitter.com/gdeters_turf/status/1307087308429168642?s=20


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## mooch91 (May 5, 2019)

Attached are a couple of pictures of the area, taken from the furthest corner.


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

Have you considered making it more of a wooded area with a swale rather than all grasses? Hybrid willow, sweet bay magnolia, bald cypress and white cedars all grow pretty fast and can take wet soils. Dwarf varieties of leucothoe would make good evergreen understory for a wet area and you could cut paths in the "woods" for some interest in that area.

A nice stand of trees with understory might make a good backdrop to your existing lawn. Also give you another spot to blow leaves into, etc.


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

You cut all that down with a reciprocating saw???? Wow that must be awful. I would think you could get a big bottle of Crossbow and maybe tank mix it with gly. Nuke the whole area and start fresh. Rent a brush mower from HD to clear it all out once its dead and throw down your new seed/plants.


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## mooch91 (May 5, 2019)

gm560 said:


> You cut all that down with a reciprocating saw???? Wow that must be awful. I would think you could get a big bottle of Crossbow and maybe tank mix it with gly. Nuke the whole area and start fresh. Rent a brush mower from HD to clear it all out once its dead and throw down your new seed/plants.


Lol. I used the reciprocating saw on the sumac and walnut trees that had grown to an inch or two diameter. The rest I hit with my Echo PAS brushcutter, though I have rented a walk-behind brush cutter in the past to knock it out.


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