[MAIPC] Stiltgrass control

[Marc Imlay]

How is Japanese Stiltgrass control going on in your park? 
 
This year I have had the ability to only remove all the Japanese Stiltgrass
over 150 acres at the 200 acre Ruth B. Swann Park in Charles county, MD. We
have removed all the stiltgrass every year since 2004. It should be gone
since the seed bank is supposed to be only 5 years. When I removed all the
stiltgrass in the 200 acre Swann Park in the last decade stiltgrass was gone
by the 5th year and almost gone by the 4th year.
 
 
So what has changed? Climate change is one answer. For the past few years in
an open area at Swann Park I would remove all the stilt gras and beefsteak
plant in July and come back in late August to remove late emergents. The
amount of work in August was only 10% of the amount of work in July. Now it
is an equal amount. In fact, I had to remove beefsteak plant 3 times to be
sure I got late emergents. 
 
Other explanations include deer movement and movement of stiltgrass down
streams. 90 % of the massive new populations that have sudenly apppeared at
Swann Park are not near streams and not where people use the park. Deer may
be more effective in bringing in stiltgrass since the areas contiguous with
Swann Park are now covered with stiltgrass so it is easier to come in. So
stiltgrass is probably moving in by deer and water from abundant sources
from outside of the park. 
 
In conclusion, we have three choices. We can apply for a large crew to join
us to control stiltgrass. 
 
Or we can give up. 
 
For a third choice please look for stiltgrass dying from leaf blight. My
major concern about waiting for the leaf blight bio-control to become
available years from now is stiltgrass moving in to the massive pristine
areas of the 200 acre park.  I found one such patch, about 10' x 20' in
early September last year in the middle of Swann Park. I left the contiguous
stiltgrass untreated slightly down the hill for about 20' and will check it
out next week. If you find such a patch there are researchers that may be
interested in looking at the patch. 
  

Marc Imlay, PhD 
Chair of the Biodiversity and Habitat Stewardship Committee for the Maryland
Chapter of the Sierra Club.


 

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