Pine Seedling Specific Herbicide?

[DennisArrow]

Hey.........The top of my property overlooks an older quarry that has pretty poor soil. In the past couple of years I have begun trying to improve it a bit so that it is pleasant to at least look at. In doing so besides the clover, wildflower, and weeping grasses, I am getting PINE SEEDLINGS that I do NOT want............Does anyone know of a herbicide that is specifically for pine? One that will not kill the grasses and plants that are growing and improving the soil????????

Thanks and God bless........Dennis

 

[MossRoad]

Hey.........The top of my property overlooks an older quarry that has pretty poor soil. In the past couple of years I have begun trying to improve it a bit so that it is pleasant to at least look at. In doing so besides the clover, wildflower, and weeping grasses, I am getting PINE SEEDLINGS that I do NOT want............Does anyone know of a herbicide that is specifically for pine? One that will not kill the grasses and plants that are growing and improving the soil????????

Thanks and God bless........Dennis

I do not know of any that kills only pine. You could go out with a machete, whack 'em off at ground level and spot spray the fresh cut stump with roundup and it will never come back. :thumbsup:

 

[smstonypoint]

Hey.........The top of my property overlooks an older quarry that has pretty poor soil. In the past couple of years I have begun trying to improve it a bit so that it is pleasant to at least look at. In doing so besides the clover, wildflower, and weeping grasses, I am getting PINE SEEDLINGS that I do NOT want............Does anyone know of a herbicide that is specifically for pine? One that will not kill the grasses and plants that are growing and improving the soil????????

Thanks and God bless........Dennis

Dennis,

I think there are several foresters on TBN, I'm sure they can provide better info.

1. Periodic bush-hogging of the area will take care of the problem. If you can't bush hog the area and the area is small enough, you could go after them with a brushcutter.

2. Check with your county forester. He/she may be know of a herbicide that will work.

Steve

 

[smstonypoint]

I do not know of any that kills only pine. You could go out with a machete, whack 'em off at ground level and spot spray the fresh cut stump with roundup and it will never come back. :thumbsup:

If Dennis is able to cut them off low enough, they won't re-sprout.

Steve

 

[DennisArrow]

Steve..........Thanks for the consideration.............Actually the area is in the 10 to 20 acre range with perhaps a seedling every square foot or so..........The slope is 15 to 20 degrees, heavily rutted with rocks/boulders the size of grapefruit to basketball........

It is county land that they quarry when they feel like it..........Actually it is a GREAT view that allows me to be able to see Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina from the top of the hill where our 2 properties meet...........So.......I need to be able to kill off the pine in a subltle manner on the county property to protect the view.........NO they will NOT put ANY effort nor money into properly reestablishing any kind of habitat until they are THROUGH with mining in perhaps 10 or so years............

So.......If I could find a pine specific herbicide to spray with a good pump sprayer it would be great...........Dennis

 

[smstonypoint]

Steve..........Thanks for the consideration.............Actually the area is in the 10 to 20 acre range with perhaps a seedling every square foot or so..........The slope is 15 to 20 degrees, heavily rutted with rocks/boulders the size of grapefruit to basketball........

It is county land that they quarry when they feel like it..........Actually it is a GREAT view that allows me to be able to see Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina from the top of the hill where our 2 properties meet...........So.......I need to be able to kill off the pine in a subltle manner on the county property to protect the view.........NO they will NOT put ANY effort nor money into properly reestablishing any kind of habitat until they are THROUGH with mining in perhaps 10 or so years............

So.......If I could find a pine specific herbicide to spray with a good pump sprayer it would be great...........Dennis

Dennis,

I'm guessing that the seedlings are Virginia Pines. Am I correct?

15 to 20 acres of rough ground with a pump sprayer -- just thinking about that makes my whole body ache.

Here's another idea. How about a wick applicator with a non-selective herbicide like glyphosate (generic Roundup)?

Steve

 

[DennisArrow]

Steve.......lolol......NO....NOT a pump sprayer......I have an RTV that I can mount my 25 gallon spray rig in the back and pump spray with the wand or with arms and get the job done really well...........The RTV can handle the slope, rocks, and ruts with ease that will easily turn a tractor over I am afraid.....That is why a bush hog is not a good reason.......

Southern Yellow Pine...........

What is the "wick" thing you mention?????.........thanks Bud......Dennis

 

[smstonypoint]

Steve.......lolol......NO....NOT a pump sprayer......I have an RTV that I can mount my 25 gallon spray rig in the back and pump spray with the wand or with arms and get the job done really well...........The RTV can handle the slope, rocks, and ruts with ease that will easily turn a tractor over I am afraid.....That is why a bush hog is not a good reason.......

Southern Yellow Pine...........

What is the "wick" thing you mention?????.........thanks Bud......Dennis

Dennis,

My mistake.


Here's a link to just one of many wick applicators that you can mount on your RTV. They are fairly simple to construct and there are plans on the Web. The more I think about, I think that's your best solution.

Sprayless Herbicide Applicators--Handheld and ATV mount

Steve

 

[clemsonfor]

I am one of the Foresters that stoneypoint refers to. There is no Pine selective herbicide, IE one that selects only pine to KILL. YOu could use a wick or bursh aplicator device that would touch only pine or if they are that many of then you could spray the whole area with glyphosate and kill everything and let it all start back killing the pines as they go. I would bushhog if at all possible it will kill them.

For all's knowledge pine will not "sprout" back if you cut if below the lowest branch, ie cut all the green of. There is exceptions to this, they are Shortleaf pine, Pinus echinada (sp) it will stump sprout as well as pond pine (which there is no way that you have this species anywhere near a quarry in the hills, it is a flatwoods species) , these two species are the only species to epocormis sprout or branch also.

At the chance of sounding politically incorrect i will still say it. Find a mexican crew who does forestr work like TSI (timber stand improvement) or tree handplanting etc, they will do this with those brush cutter weed-eaters, we have them on the land that we manage do this as TSI and cut all the pines back to a 10x10 spacing about 460 TPA (trees per acre) down from the start of about 2000TPA. NO there usually not illegal its not my job to check anyhow, but many of these workers are seasonal and get those temp visa for farm/forestry work, they travel throughout the south planting different tracts as they go. Most will work for a larger reputible company not for themselves.

 

[clemsonfor]

Did i scare you off Dennis?

 

[forester2]

If I'm reading this right , this is County property? I'd think twice about doing any 'improvements' on land I did not own without the owner's permission.

 

[DennisArrow]

YES....it is county property; but they have no problem with me trying to improve the habitat, preservation, and erosion.......There is nothing in writing between myself and the county; but rather than have the EPA, State Mining Inspectors, and Trout Unlimited from bothering them all the time due to my requests for them to do something about it, the county looks the other way as I do my subtle efforts on their upper slopes...............

No.....Forester not even scared off, just trying to figure what to do..........I just put down deer mix, flower seed, fescue, and fert the other day and waiting for the rain to help out a bit...............How do I get hold of one of these crews of guys named Valdez?????........You are saying just use a weed eater and knock them down????? That is a good thought as MOST are just seedlings that have sprouted in the last couple of months, are perhaps 3 inches tall, and have toothpick stems..............

Thanks........Dennis

 

[blueriver]

Grazon will kill the pines, weeds and leave the grass ... I know from experience ... I use it for my hay fields and pastures ... Got to close to a newly planted row of pines and they did not survive. Grass looks good!!

 

[clemsonfor]

YES....it is county property; but they have no problem with me trying to improve the habitat, preservation, and erosion.......There is nothing in writing between myself and the county; but rather than have the EPA, State Mining Inspectors, and Trout Unlimited from bothering them all the time due to my requests for them to do something about it, the county looks the other way as I do my subtle efforts on their upper slopes...............

No.....Forester not even scared off, just trying to figure what to do..........I just put down deer mix, flower seed, fescue, and fert the other day and waiting for the rain to help out a bit...............How do I get hold of one of these crews of guys named Valdez?????........You are saying just use a weed eater and knock them down????? That is a good thought as MOST are just seedlings that have sprouted in the last couple of months, are perhaps 3 inches tall, and have toothpick stems..............

Thanks........Dennis

Google forestry site prep companies in your area, or you can get in touch with SAF (society of american foresters) and see if they have an foresters in your area and use them to get them to get these crews. They use the large weed eaters with the sawblade attachements, called brush saws.