What implement works best for controlling weeds, foxtails.

[jeff9366]

The root measured 9 to 10". The small weed that I was trying to remove with the chain harrow was 3"

View attachment 508926

CATFEVER: Your Spring Harrow has 27 tines from what I could determine in your photos.

What is Spring Harrow's working width?
Does it till with 100% coverage, or somewhat less due to space between tines/points?
What is the vertical drop on the tines? How deep will it penetrate under average conditions?
Would OP's Deere 2032R be able to move the Spring Tine Harrow when sunk in the earth?

Care to speculate concerning King Kutter's 72" Spring Tine Harrow? Ball park price: $800.
KK LINK: https://www.kingkutter.com/store-product.aspx?id=3505
VIDEO: KingKutter Field Cultivator - YouTube



My Dirt Dog brand Field Cultivator is a form of conservation plow. Therefore single pass coverage is only about 50%. But it will rip 14" deep under average conditions, if desired. I "normally" rip about 10". Dirt Dog Field Cultivator is available with as few as three tines.

 

[cat fever]

Jeff,
My Spring Harrow has at least 34 tines. I have it set to about 7" digging depth. Not sure how deep it will go but considerably deeper than what I have it set for. Of course it would require lots of pulling power to do that. My unit is over 11' wide. I don't want to get any deeper because it rips up too much of my alfalfa. Which is a deep root plant. I'm sure they make many different styles of the same type implement. I wouldn't claim 100% coverage, but close to it. I think that link you have of the Kingkutter harrow would work just fine. Do the whole field north to south then go east to west.

 

[AGRIMAN]

Would turning the weeds over with a plow have a different affect than tilling or using a cultivator.

Yes. You are burning the seed deep at the bottom of the furrow. This will kill most of them, but not all. They will eventually come back, but they will be thin for a while. It's not a perfect solution but it's a good first step.

You will still need to keep ahead of them with some other form of tillage. A field cultervator/chiesel plow will work, but you will need to get them at first growth. A tiller will also work but it is a slow process. I would use a disc harrow, this will buy you some time as you can let the weeds get a little bigger.

Back before roundup ready seed, I done some test plots in some of my fields with heavy weed pressure (mainly coffe weeds and pig weeds). I broke (plowed) half the field and chiesel the other half. We seen a noticeable difference in weed pressure using less than half the amount of peremerant herbicide.

Now, there are drawbacks to plowing. Added cost, time and the loss of moisture that you will need to replace, but it does work. Well, that is if you are able to set the plow correctly and don't make a mess.

 

[cat fever]

Yes. You are burning the seed deep at the bottom of the furrow. This will kill most of them, but not all. They will eventually come back, but they will be thin for a while. It's not a perfect solution but it's a good first step.

You will still need to keep ahead of them with some other form of tillage. A field cultervator/chiesel plow will work, but you will need to get them at first growth. A tiller will also work but it is a slow process. I would use a disc harrow, this will buy you some time as you can let the weeds get a little bigger.

Back before roundup ready seed, I done some test plots in some of my fields with heavy weed pressure (mainly coffe weeds and pig weeds). I broke (plowed) half the field and chiesel the other half. We seen a noticeable difference in weed pressure using less than half the amount of peremerant herbicide.

Now, there are drawbacks to plowing. Added cost, time and the loss of moisture that you will need to replace, but it does work. Well, that is if you are able to set the plow correctly and don't make a mess.

Agriman,
I think with Catmans limited HP a disc harrow or plow would be hard to move at the needed ground speed to make them work effectively. If he could make a plow work that definitely would be the way to go.

 

[IslandTractor]

If you don't want to use chemicals, I have found that just regular mowing will eventually let the grass (spread a little seed) overcome the weeds that need to be taller to survive. This won't kill out the shorter stuff like crab grass or anything else the is happy at grass height.

Yep. That's what I would do too. Just regular mowing will eventually kill it.

 

[cat fever]

Yep. That's what I would do too. Just regular mowing will eventually kill it.

I tried mowing in a small pasture I have (1/4 acre) with a regular walk behind lawn mower. Tried it for several years, it did not work. The foxtails would go to seed only being 2-3" tall. I started going in with my Spring Tooth harrow, took a few years, but no more foxtails.
The key is rip them up BEFORE they go to seed.

 

[IslandTractor]

I tried mowing in a small pasture I have (1/4 acre) with a regular walk behind lawn mower. Tried it for several years, it did not work. The foxtails would go to seed only being 2-3" tall. I started going in with my Spring Tooth harrow, took a few years, but no more foxtails.
The key is rip them up BEFORE they go to seed.

That makes sense. I haven't dealt specifically with foxtails. For briar and other common brush plants, the mowing regularly strategy works fine.

 

[Catman8]

As far as the Goat heads. (tack weeds) good luck. This is what I did and I live on 6 acres. Every week I went around with the wheelbarrow or truck and would pull them up by the root being very careful to not drop any seeds. Works best after a rain. I also used round up. I have been at it for at least 10 years. Those seeds can lay dormant for 7 years then start growing. I finally, in the last year or two can say I have them eradicated from my property. Once in awhile I see one creeping in from a neighbor but I'm on them like a duck on a June bug.:laughing: I have hauled off several truck loads piled as high as the top of the cab. I do feel your pain when it comes to goat heads. They SUCK.ullinghair:

That is so funny :laughing: I had to do the same thing you did with the goat heads, after it rained I would go out with a trash can, dust pan, and knee pads, pull the goat head plant out by hand then sweep all the stickers from under the plant, and I did this with five acres. I could not believe how many stickers were under each plant that I pulled up, thousands. I had to change all my tires to the thickest ply I could find because of flats.

You are correct about mowing foxtails close to the ground, all they do is seed close to the ground.

I was looking at spring tooth harrows like the one Jeff9366 posted but don't see any small ones with wheels like you have. My tractor has 32hp. and the rear tires are loaded with rim guard.

How do I work a slope safely, can I use a spring tooth harrow on a slope, or do I risk a mud slide when winter hits by removing the vegetation.



Thanks for all the great ideas guys. Really helping a lot.:thumbsup:

 

[bcp]

Weevils for goatheads.

Control Goatheads with Puncturevine Weevils - IRV Goatheads

Bruce

 

[cat fever]

Weevils for goatheads.

Control Goatheads with Puncturevine Weevils - IRV Goatheads

Bruce

This does work. Salt Lake City actually spread Weevils on the Jordan parkway to combat the Goathead problem. However, for someone like me trying to grow hay and especially Alfalfa in the near future, Weevils will destroy the leafs on the Alfalfa plant. So there is some give and take with Weevils.