What implement works best for controlling weeds, foxtails.

[Catman8]

Thanks for all the great ideas so far, one thing that I need to understand is what method kills the weeds, is grinding the weeds and roots up and mixing them under the soil going to kill them or are you just replanting them for next year, are we trying to turn them under before they seed. I used my roto tiller today on a small area with two passes, took a little over an hour and was about 8" deep, it ground all the dead grass into the dirt, is this going to help slow down the growth or is it important to break the ground deep with a field cultivator like others have suggested.

 

[jeff9366]

WHAT LENGTH ARE THE ROOTS OF OBJECTIONABLE FOXTAILS IN YOUR SOIL?

Burning the Foxtails before seed pods mature may be key. Certainly looks dry enough.

If it rains after you cultivate for weed control, before weed roots die in the sun, most weeds recover.

If Foxtails like bog conditions and you have standing water after a rain where foxtails grow, ripping 14" with a Field Cultivator may improve soil drainage sufficiently that Foxtails and bog conditions disappear.

Perennial weeds come back from roots. Annual weeds return from seed produced the year before. Many fields are home to both perennial and annual weeds.


Roto-tilling will go faster if you till after a good, soaking rain. In photos soil looks like adobe brick.

FOXTAIL ERADICATION/GOOGLE: Google

 

[bcp]

Fire may be the best non-chemical means.

From:
wric.ucdavis.edu/information/natural areas/wr_H/Hordeum_marinum-murinum.pdf

Fire is an effective control measure for these Hordeum species. In one study, burning alone as a control measure reduced the cover of annual barley from 90% to less than 5% cover for approximately 3 years. The timing of burning is in the ripe seed stage before seed disperses from dead plants.

 

[Catman8]

WHAT LENGTH ARE THE ROOTS OF OBJECTIONABLE FOXTAILS IN YOUR SOIL?

Burning the Foxtails before they mature seeds may be key. Certainly looks dry enough.

If it rains after you cultivate for weed control, before weed roots die in the sun, most weeds recover.

If Foxtails like bog conditions and you have standing water after a rain where foxtails grow, ripping 14" with a Field Cultivator may improve soil drainage sufficiently that Foxtails and bog conditions disappear.

Perennial weeds come back from roots. Annual weeds return from seed produced the year before. Many fields are home to both perennial and annual weeds.


Roto-tilling will go faster if you till after a good, soaking rain. In photos soil looks like adobe brick.

FOXTAIL ERADICATION/GOOGLE: Google

I will measure the root length tomorrow when it's light outside.

I would assume that a foxtail is annual weed because the fox tails are seeds, not sure but I will have to research further.

I live in the country so all the surrounding hill sides are covered with foxtails and the seeds are going to travel but that's just a contributing factor.

The foxtails are in my cats, dogs, and in my socks and clothes and a bugger to remove.

We got a rare rain yesterday so the tilling went really smooth, adjusting the PTO slip clutch was a interesting chore.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Catman8]

Fire may be the best non-chemical means.

From:
wric.ucdavis.edu/information/natural areas/wr_H/Hordeum_marinum-murinum.pdf

Fire is an effective control measure for these Hordeum species. In one study, burning alone as a control measure reduced the cover of annual barley from 90% to less than 5% cover for approximately 3 years. The timing of burning is in the ripe seed stage before seed disperses from dead plants.

Very interesting, thank you.

 

[bigtiller]

I will measure the root length tomorrow when it's light outside.

I would assume that a foxtail is annual weed because the fox tails are seeds, not sure but I will have to research further.

I live in the country so all the surrounding hill sides are covered with foxtails and the seeds are going to travel but that's just a contributing factor.

The foxtails are in my cats, dogs, and in my socks and clothes and a bugger to remove.

We got a rare rain yesterday so the tilling went really smooth, adjusting the PTO slip clutch was a interesting chore.

Thanks for your help.

That sounds more like cockelbur than foxtail. Foxtail grows up to 2' tall, not the 2' to 4' tall you described earlier.

If it is foxtail, they have a shallow root and can be pulled fairly easily, but not 5 acres of them. The easiest way to get rid of it would be to apply a pre-emergent.

Around here, foxtail keeps the undesirable weeds at bay, in road ditches and fence rows.

http://www.scotts.com/smg/goART2/solution/foxtail-grass-control/200056

 

[Catman8]

That sounds more like cockelbur than foxtail. Foxtail grows up to 2' tall, not the 2' to 4' tall you described earlier.

If it is foxtail, they have a shallow root and can be pulled fairly easily, but not 5 acres of them. The easiest way to get rid of it would be to apply a pre-emergent.

Around here, foxtail keeps the undesirable weeds at bay, in road ditches and fence rows.

http://www.scotts.com/smg/goART2/solution/foxtail-grass-control/200056

Hello Bigtiller, I have many different weeds, your probably right that the fox tails only grow 2' and it's the other variety that grows taller. It's just the foxtails that are a nuisance.

 

[Hughman]

I just finished mowing 5+ acres of those weeds (CA sierra foot hills). They do get tall, but if I time it right, I only need to mow once or twice a season. The best solution I've seen if you don't like mowing is to get a goat. They'll eat 24/7 until it's all gone.

 

[bigtiller]

Hello Bigtiller, I have many different weeds, your probably right that the fox tails only grow 2' and it's the other variety that grows taller. It's just the foxtails that are a nuisance.

View attachment 508816

I played around on Google for a while..... I'm glad we don't have your kind of foxtail here. Ours is soft enough to tickle your sweethearts nose with. If I had your kind, I'd be getting rid of it also. I'll be watching to learn how.

 

[Catman8]

I just finished mowing 5+ acres of those weeds (CA sierra foot hills). They do get tall, but if I time it right, I only need to mow once or twice a season. The best solution I've seen if you don't like mowing is to get a goat. They'll eat 24/7 until it's all gone.

The problem is after you mow you still have all those foxtails everywhere, its like the same problem I have with these darn goat head stickers, they will puncture your tires or go right to the bone in your foot. I don't mind mowing at all, I just want to stop the weeds before they have a chance to spread those nasty foxtails and stickers.



Would a goat eat foxtails, I had a goat when I was a kid and he drank a gallon of paint and did not do as much as burp, but guess what color his goat marbles where, gold. I have seen a flock of sheep eat a field clean. If I get a goat that means I need to fence five acres or a temporary electric fence.