USING A PLANT'S LIFECYCLE AGAINST ITSELF

A Timeline for Controlling Reed Canary Grass and Common Reed
by Jack Pizzo

ne of the key elements in any restoration project is to eliminate or suppress aggressive native and non-native species. Herbicides are often the best option to kill these plants, but the damage caused to non-target species from improper timing or misapplication can be irreversible. We have found it is best to study the trends, habits, and life cycles of invasive plants before making a decision to use herbicides. In this way, we gain insight into the best time and easiest way to control these plants. In this article, we discuss how we have put this technique into practice to control Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinaceae) and Common Reed (Phragmites australis).
Reed Canary Grass and Common Reed are cool-season grasses that grow primarily during the spring and fall in moist soils. Individual plants can reach a considerable size before the warm season grasses and forbs begin to break the soil surface. Growth usually radiates outward from the initial point of infestation by a lengthening root system. The roots will continue to spread unless interrupted by changes in soil moisture or manmade obstructions. The seeds of Common Reed seem to have limited viability and we find this not to be true for Reed Canary Grass, contrary to Runkel and Roosa, 1989 and Swink and Wilhelm, 1994. This indicates that the strength is in the roots. The spreading root system of both plants make them extremely resistant to controlled burns and makes removal by hand virtually impossible. Therefore, herbicide is the only option left.
We have found that using a timed application of Glyphosate-based herbicide such as RoundUp™ at a low concentration of about 1 to 2 percent (1 to 2 gallons of concentrate in 100 gallons of water) will kill Reed Canary Grass and Common Reed while still maintaining a viable native population. Use a dye indicator such as Signal or Spimax to identify drift and the locations of completed areas. For example, we are successfully using a 2 percent solution of Glyphosate to control Reed Canary Grass in

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LETTER OF APPRECIATION

My Dear Friends,

There are so many friends and kindred souls that I would like to greet and thank that I would like to do it by the way of A Prairie Rendezvous if I may.
My sincere thanks to you all for the bur oaks given to the Vermillion County Conservation District in memory of my husband, Robert E. Westfall.
The handsome young oaks have been planted in the Forest Glen Savannah by Ken Konsis, executive director of the district. He planted them near the road bordering the savannah so we can watch them grow.
A brief report on the prairie - it was a banner year for it and the insects. Indian Paint Brush and Prairie Gentian were "best of show."

Your help with any of the following special needs would greatly enhance the effectiveness of GPF and PGV.

Leaf blower
A leaf blower would be useful for creating fire breaks.

Two-way radios
Radios would be very helpful for coordinating burns at larger sites and ensuring the safety of volunteers.

Laptop computer
Grand Prairie Friends needs a portable computer (preferably not more than three years old) for managing its membership re

To donate any of these items, or for additional information, contact Mary Ann Feist at mfeist@inhs.uiuc.edu.

WE NEED A THEME
As noted in the last newsletter, Grand Prairie Friends will be the organizing the Sixth Central Illinois Prairie Conference over the next year and a half. We are looking for suggestions for conference themes and for a few committed people to organize speakers and oversee the arrangements for the conference. The conference will be in September 2003 at Parkland College. If you are interested in volunteering for the organizing committee, have questions, or have information that you'd like to pass on, please contact Heidi Leuszler, hleuszler@parkland.edu or (217) 373-3734.

CHECK YOUR MAILING LABEL!

Grand Prairie Friends members, please check the date on your mailing label! If it is not 2002, we have not received your membership dues.

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A Prairie Rendezvous

FALL 2002

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the fall on our own property in Leland, Illinois, without killing Wild Iris (Iris virginica) growing in the same area. When treating small stands, we use a backpack sprayer to apply the herbicide. When treating infestations that cover an acre or more, we use a tree gun attached to a 200-gallon Hypro™ pump with a 400-foot long hose. This device allows us to spray close up and at long distances. For even larger areas of solid stands, we have used a Polaris 6 X 6 ATV with a 12-foot boom sprayer. All three methods depend on the area being sprayed and enable precision spraying, limiting disturbance and damage to the native population. Proper conditions must be taken into account such as wind speed and precipitation. Wind carried drift is a factor to be heavily considered.
Using information about the life cycle and growth of Reed Canary Grass and Common Reed, we have developed the following management timeline. This timeline is specific for the Midwest where we have done our work. Your site will be different and conditions need to be taken into account before applying this technique. It is best to start in spring, but you can pick any point to begin as long as the schedule is kept.

• April Identify the areas to be treated. Reed Canary Grass and Common Reed will retain much of their upright structure from the previous year. When you begin to see the present year's growth, mark the area of interface between the native population and the undesirable grasses. We stake this area with steel rebar because it is long lasting and will not burn (Figure 1).
  
• May-September In large infestations of continuous weed foliage, herbicide anytime during this time frame from the center of the infestation to the internal edge of the interface. For smaller patches of weed species mixed with natives, spray in early May to reduce damage to the newly emerging natives. In both scenarios, many of the native species will still be underground early in the season, and protected from pesticide drifts.
  
• October and November THIS IS THE KEY!!! Spray herbicide on the interface when the native warm-season species have gone dormant and the cool-season grasses are still active. Pay attention to what is being sprayed. If a plant is green, it is still active and will take up this herbicide, regardless of species.
  
• November-March Conduct a thorough controlled burn. This will remove the dead leaf matter and help bring light to the surface for the native plants. Install seed at this time to compete for the open space. A controlled burn can be conducted anytime during these months as long as the temperature is above freezing. We have conducted a successful controlled burn at the Leland property in February when there was no snow on the ground, but the wetland and ground were still frozen. Burn season is whenever the conditions are right, not when the calendar month has changed.
  
• April and May Spot-treat remaining infestations marked by the rebar before native plants become active. Use the same Glyphosate based herbicide and the same 2% concentration as earlier in the year.
  
• May-July Once we have cleared the invasive grasses from the area, we reduce the risk of further invasion by immediately replanting the site with native species. Areas with remnant quality may have a substantial seed bank in the soil and will not require immediate plantings.
  
• Repeat and burn as necessary.
  

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(Lifecycle continued from page 5)

Our results have been variable at different locations, but one thing is constant: there is a reduction every year from the previous year of these problem species. In two separate plots, 20'  by 20', on our property in Leland, we had 95% to 100% coverage of Reed Canary Grass on March 1^st, 2000. After the first treatment, it was reduced to between 5% and 10% coverage in April 2000. There were re-sprouts in the fall of 2000, but less than 5% coverage. A fall spot treatment showed a 100% kill as expected, and re-sprouts were not unexpected. This year there were spring re-sprouts up to 40% coverage in the first plot and only 10% coverage in the second. There will be more re-sprouts in the spring compared to the fall because spring is the primary growing season. The key thing to remember is that every site is different and environmental conditions will make the plants respond differently every time. For an in-depth look at diversity issues related to Common Reed, please refer to Ailstock, Norman, and Bushmann in Restoration Ecology, March 2001.

REFERENCES
Ailstock, M.S., Norman, C.M. and Bushmann, P.J., 2001. Common Reed Phragmites australis: Control and Effects Upon Biodiversity in Freshwater Nontidal Wetlands. Restoration Ecology, pg. 49-59, vol.9, no.1, March 2001.

Roosa, Dean M., and Runkel, Sylvan T. 1989. Wildflowers of the Tallgrass Prairie. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press.

IDNR GRANTS ANNOUNCEMENT

by Heidi Leuszler

onies from the were awarded to GPF from the Illinois Deptartment of Natural Resources this fall. The GPF Board of Directors submitted two proposals to the Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund this fall, and both were accepted! One grant is for equipment purchases to manage our existing properties and to begin establishment of a prairie seed nursery on land donated to GPF by Mrs. Freida Ems. The second grant is in support of our successful internship program, in which we educate students in natural lands management and connect community resources.
Many thanks to IDNR and those of you who contribute to the Wildlife Preservation Fund!

In this issue…

• internship report
  
• site monitor update