Ornamental grasses are popular landscape plants and often encounter turf encroachment or other grass weed problems. Several postemergence grass herbicides are available for use in turf and ornamentals and herbicide tolerance information is needed for ornamental grass species. Fifteen ornamental grasses including species from the genera Calamagrostis, Cortaderia, Eragrostis, Erianthus, Miscanthus, Sorghastrum, Spartina, Panicum and Pennisetum were field planted in Clemson, SC in May 1989 and Festuca species in November, 1989. Herbicide treatments were fenoxaprop-ethyl, fluazifop-P and sethoxydim at 0.4 kg a.i.·ha-1 applied 4 weeks after planting and an untreated control. Height and injury evaluations were taken at weekly intervals and plants were harvested 10 weeks after treatment. Fenoxaprop-ethyl treated Calamagrostis and Festuca species treated with all herbicides were the only treatments that were the same as untreated controls in terms of % injury, height and dry weight. Three ornamental Calamagrostis species were evaluated in a greenhouse study to determine the level of tolerance to fenoxaprop-ethyl at 0.4, 0.8, 1.6 and 3.2 kg a.i.·ha-1. No visual injury symptoms were seen on any treatments as compared to untreated controls but growth rates of the youngest leaves did vary among species shortly after treatment.
Ornamental grasses in urban landscaping: promising assortment and specifications of use
