When it comes to invasive species, cogongrass is the two-headed, fire-breathing beast of the ancient world.Two-headed with its ability to spread not only by seed, but also by rhizomes that can penetrate as far as four feet down into the ground. Fire-breathing because a spark can set cogongrass into an inferno exceeding temps of 800 degrees Fahrenheit. Today, cogongrass spans from the tip of Florida, as far west as Texas and as far north as Tennessee. Globally it infests over 500 million acres and can be found on nearly every continent.
 
Introduced as a forage grass and as a method for erosion control, cogongrass fails at both with its serrated leaf edge and weedy, clump-like growth. What it excels at is dominating roadsides, utility right-of-ways and fields, and any other area where species competition is low. Attempts at managing cogongrass have been made in the past using controlled burn and mechanical methods. Both of these methods resulted in failure because both spread the seed and neither address the underground rhizome. Some counties have all but given up on controlling this species, but all hope is not lost.
 
For the past 20 years our staff of experts have participated in studies of cogongrass control in Mississippi and Alabama. Through those studies, we’ve developed a highly successful method of control with the use of herbicide application that not only targets the above-ground growth but also translocates to the underground rhizome. In addition, our formula targets cogongrass, creating an environment for desired species to repopulate.
 
However, different cogongrass populations call for different measures. Younger infestations can be potentially wiped out with a single treatment while older infestations will necessitate repeat treatments to ensure rhizome penetration has occurred. Applications are most effective in early Spring, so don’t delay. Call us at a location near you before your cogongrass problem takes seed and takes over.