Another herbicide question

[Blume_Farm]

My pastures are divided into 1-2 acres fields. I bought Pasture Pro at TCS and there are varied directions on concentration. It says 1qt/acre at a 2-10 gallon/spray volume of using a field sprayer.

I will be using an RTV attached sprayer with a hand wand (no spray boom). I really am planning on a modified spot spray type thing in the sense that I have large sections of the field with weeds and other areas weed free.

So how do you decide on a 2-10 gallon concentration? Does it just depend on the rate that your sprayer sprays to cover that one acre?

[hosspuller]

I would identify the weeds you’re having problems with. Just spray and hope you’ve got the right herbicide is gonna be a disappointment and a waste of your time, labor & money.

Since you’re using a hand wand … That qualifies as a spot spray.

Mix it strong (at least 1%) … It’s basic 2,4-d, you might consider one of the suggested tank mixes. The combination is more effective than either herbicide alone.

See table 2 on page 4 of the label

http://www.pbigordon.com/pdfs/PastureProHerbicide-SL.pdf

[Blume_Farm]

The weeds I have a problem with are pigweed, milk thistle and some type of nightshade. According to my reading 2-4-D should have coverage, but I’ll look into a tank mix. The pigweed is pretty resistant so I think it will require multi-year spraying.

[gumtree]

I don’t use Pasture Pro because by and large it is just diluted 2-4-D. I prefer using “straight” 2-4-D that comes in 68%+ strength. Comes in 1 gallon or 2.5 gal for $65 around here. I mix 5-6+ oz per gallon of water. So just guessing, 8-9 oz Pasture Pro per gallon.

Pasture Pro (2-4-D) should work on the Pigweed and the Nightshade. Doesn’t do too good a job on mature thistle in my neck of the woods. It will “knock it down” a bit. Repeated spraying may take care of it. It does take care of young thistle but has to be done in the spring before the stem “hardens”. It is not effective on milkweed.

2-4-D doesn’t do too good a job on most weeds that mature and have a “woody” and or “harden” stem. These need to be taken care of in early spring. For mature stuff I add a product called Clarity.

When I spot spray I just wet the weeds pretty good. But try not to get them dripping wet. Waste of herbicide and it will kill the grass under it if too much is used.

[Blume_Farm]

Thanks for the info! This is the first time I am trying to do herbicide myself. A few years ago I had Southern States come out and spray but they killed the young trees I was trying to grow with just massive, non directed spray. So now that my tress have been replanted and a few years of good growth I didn’t want to do that again! I just did one of my fields and will check it throughout the week to see how I did. If it worked out OK then I’ll go ahead and do the rest of the fields.

How long does it take to see if my spraying was successful? A few days? A week?

[EventerAJ]

With some weeds (especially if you use a strong mix like gumtree suggested) you’ll notice them wilting and looking “sad” within a few hours. The rest of them should show signs of poor health within a day or two. Brown, crunchy, satisfying death should be complete within a week. By that point, if you notice some weeds looking defiantly green, go spray them again, maybe you missed a section. If they still don’t die-- change herbicides.

I HATE weeds, and while the smell of strong 2,4-D makes me gag, it is worth it to see a wasteland reclaimed into nice pasture. The amine can give the grass a nice boost as well. As gumtree said, no need to make a drippy mess on each offending plant; a light coating of spray, enough to dampen about 1/3-1/2 of the leafy material should do the job.

[Bluey]

Depending on how many weeds you are talking about, not that many if you are hand spraying with a wand, you could consider mechanical control, shredding or hand hoeing them.
A swinging hoe with some heft is quick and easy.

Russian thistles are some that you can chop off and eventually get rid of them.
Pig weed is easy to mow down.

One more option for occasional weed control.

[lorilu]

Mowing pig weed is NOT the solution. Bits of stem take root. Small seeds scatter everywhere.
I had thistle - I went around the field with a hoe. One good chop below ground level and it was done. I pick up the pieces because I have found that the seed heads will open even if the stem is cut, laying on the ground…

[gumtree]

[QUOTE=lorilu;8234092]
Mowing pig weed is NOT the solution. Bits of stem take root. Small seeds scatter everywhere.
I had thistle - I went around the field with a hoe. One good chop below ground level and it was done. I pick up the pieces because I have found that the seed heads will open even if the stem is cut, laying on the ground…[/QUOTE]

As far as pigweed any weed that puts out seed it is important to keep it mowed and keep it mowed before it develops seeds. A lot of people are not good at keeping up with the constant demands of mowing regularly. Even then a lot of weeds will just put out seed heads at the height that it is mowed at. Tenuous and full of self preservation. This is not what i have read but what I have learned over the years.

Occasional use of a herbicide makes short work of things. But it has to be used long before the weeds go to seed. Early to mid spring. Not only for seeds but the weeds are much easier to kill off when young. More resistant as they mature. Weeds put out a lot of seeds. Those seeds will spout the following seasons and you are back to square one. A lot of seeds can lay dormant and sprout for years.

There are different types of thistle. Around her and many parts of the country Canadian thistle is the invader. As told to me by my farmer friends once it gets a foot hold and established patches it is a real PITA to get rid of. It has an extensive root system. So mowing and or “hoeing” will not kill it. It will re-sprout from the existing root system. Which is what I found out. It takes a mixed/blended herbicide to eradicate the root system also.

Anybody that has been managing large acreage will tell you mowing alone will not keep weeds from proliferating by and large. Especially in areas like mine that is prime crop growing area also. Plenty of good soil and moisture. Those in more arid regions will have better luck.

The above applies to most areas but is based on my experience in my neck of the woods.

[Bluey]

Yes, anyone that lets weeds get to viable seeds is already behind the ball and mowing or spraying won’t help much with a weed problem then.

Killing individual plants after they have seeded out will only help to save some of the moisture they use to stay alive, important where we are short on moisture, not so much where you have all you want and more.

As they say around here, “there are very few two year old weeds”.

[4funIride]

if you are spot spraying its worthwhile to invest in the blue ag dye to see what you got and what you missed. I bought a gallon online as the little 8 oz bottles from the coop didn’t last long enough and were much more expensive. I spray a lot of goat heads with a backpack sprayer. I can live with weeds in the paddocks but I’m trying to eliminate the noxious burrs.

[lorilu]

Regardig pigweed, there is evidence that they will continue to mature seeds after pollination EVEN AFTER BEING CUT. Yes, the little pieces of plant will continue to mature seeds!! Also, seeds are very small, and plats produce thousands of seeds. Even worse, seeds can be produced as early as 3 weeks after emergence - they do not need to be very tall at all to go to seed. They will grow below the mowed height. http://www.extension.org/pages/65208/weed-profile:-pigweeds-amaranthus-spp#.VclMkflVikoThat is why I recommended an herbicide for pigweed. Just mowing them will not do it. Regarding “allowing” weeds to go to seed - of course no one does that on purpose. Here in FL, we have a LOOOONG growing season, and some weeds set seed a few times a year, growing back after being cut. Some winters we do not have a very hard freeze at all.
Additionally, some seed can stay dormant for a few years before sprouting - I have head that thistle can do this.