Japanese Stiltgrass Chemical Control
Getting rid of the existing plants and preventing viable seeds from dropping off of the plant and into the soil is the goal of eradication and to stop the further spread of japanese stiltgrass infestations.
Japanese stiltgrass chemical control. Control strategies include early spring to early summer herbicide applications for maximum efficacy. Do not compost plants with seed heads. It is highly competitive in the shade and can also invade lightly shaded to full sun areas. Mechanical hand pull or if area is too large cut it back with a mower or string.
Prevent going to seed. Japanese stiltgrass infestation in a natural area photo. It is important to remove it before seed is dropped mid august in nj. Very few herbicides are specifically labeled for japanses stiltgrass control.
Biology japanese stiltgrass is a summer annual similar to crabgrass but usually germinates two or more weeks earlier than crabgrass. Furthermore few herbicides are labeled for use in the wet woodlands where this weed is common. The same herbicides that can be used to prevent crabgrass from germinating and growing in a lawn can be also be used to prevent stiltgrass. However most preemergence and postemergence herbicides used for crabgrass control in turfgrass and landscape plantings are effective on japanese stiltgrass.