How To Get Rid Of Reeds
Reeds is a type of invasive plant that is most common in the east coast and other areas with freshwater and wetland ecosystems. Reeds, or phragmites, are fast growing unwanted plants that pose as a big threat to other plants. This is mainly because reeds spread so fast and they tend to overtake one whole area and deprive other plants of the resources they need. That is why if reeds start to grow on your lawn, then you are up to a big problem. Before it could get any worse, you should try to fight those reeds right away.
Reeds are actually a bit challenging to get rid of. Instead of the usual roots of plants, they have these dense rhizomes that are quite complicated to remove. Nevertheless, there are many things that you could do to get rid of reeds. Some of them are quite easy to do, while most are actually daunting. The removal method that you are going to use depends on how severe the invasion is. So if you act right away when the reeds are just starting to grow, there is a big chance that you can get rid of them without doing many tasks. But if the reeds invasion has already spread, then you are up for a tough challenge. Here are some things that you can do to get rid of reeds.
Dig and pull
If the number of reed plants growing around your lot is just minimal, then you can opt to just dig and pull them up from the ground. This is one of the most effective methods that you can do because when you dig them yourself, you can be sure that the whole plant system has been removed from the ground. Just get some safety gloves, small shovel, spade or a gardening spoon. Dig around the area of the reed clumps. Then, using your glove-protected hands, pull up the reeds and place in a safe garbage bag.
Repeated cutting or mowing
If the reeds are deprived of enough time to grow, then they will die. If there are many reeds around that you cannot manage with your bare hands, then you can just run the mower or cut the reeds repeatedly so that they do not grow more than two inches above the ground. If the reeds are submerged in water, just keep their growth below the water line. If you keep on cutting them, they will not be able to get the resources they need and they will suffocate. When this happens, those reeds will die.
Make your lot a grazing ground
Cattles, sheep, and goats eat reeds. If you make your lot a grazing ground for them, then these animals will help you control the phragmites. However, one time grazing is not enough to eradicate those reeds. It needs to be done repeatedly until the reed plants have weakened and they are starting to die. If you know a friend who has animals that can eat those reeds, then ask him to let the cattle, sheep or goats graze around your area.
Use weed killers or herbicide
If the eco-friendly ways did not work well in removing those reeds, then you might need to resort to using chemicals to kill those reeds. Get a weed killer or herbicide designed to kill the reeds. Follow the instructions and apply them to remove the reeds.