Unpalatable grass - help, I need a botanist!

[pennyturner]

To be clear, I'm not talking about sour, latrine-fouled grass. I've a water-meadow which has always had areas of a different species of grass. With the wet winter/spring, it's taken over.

Now, my ponies will eat anything - they happily much on nettles, thistles, sedge, old christmas trees and branches up to 1" in diameter. But they won't touch this stuff.

Looks lovely, if a bit 'tufty', but nothing will eat it. Have spoken to local farmers who say cattle won't eat it either.

Anyone know what it is, or how to get rid of the stuff?

 

[DuckToller]

You need to post a good photo or pick some and use an identifying book. It's probably more related to reeds if it's in a water meadow!

I suspect it will need to be sprayed which is tricky if it's by a river due to the run off. Or maybe get it cut several times to discourage it and reseed with more palatable grasses.

Does the farmer know if sheep will eat it?

 

[pennyturner]

Thanks. I will see if I can get a photo. Problem is it doesn't look like much - just like a clump of grass, in fact!

Don't think it's a reed. It doesn't look like a reed or sedge, and the ponies eat both of those.

Not sure about sheep. It's been many years since that meadow had any in there. Maybe I should try to borrow some.