Flail Mower Flail mower - milkweed?

[dbk123]

I am considering getting a flail mower some of our pastures. One concern is that late in the summer we have a lot of milkweed growth. Would the milkweed stalks cause problems by wrapping around the drum of the flail mower?

Thanks,

dbk123

 

[whistlepig]

I do not know if we are talking about the same milkweed since I don't know what part of the country you live but the milkweed we have around here could be cut with a dull butter knife. I can't see the stalks being a problem with any sort of mower.

 

[Mike120]

Get them early, otherwise your bigger problem will be all the seeds you scatter when you mow them.

 

[dbk123]

Thanks for the notes guys.

I usually do try to mow them early with the exception of one or two pastures where we let the plants mature to provide habitat for the Monarch butterfly.

-dbk123

 

[AchingBack]

dbk123, I'm glad to hear you are aware, milkweed is the only plant Monarchs feed on. Here in Oregon, I see fewer numbers of them each year. I blame urbanites for ignorantly eradicating milkweed. Milkweed contains a substance that is toxic to birds. They will not eat a Monarch, as they insticntively know it will sicken them. The Viceroy, a similarly colored butterfly, enjoys the same protection from birds, even though it feeds on other plants.

 

[whistlepig]

dbk123, I'm glad to hear you are aware, milkweed is the only plant Monarchs feed on. Here in Oregon, I see fewer numbers of them each year. I blame urbanites for ignorantly eradicating milkweed. Milkweed contains a substance that is toxic to birds. They will not eat a Monarch, as they insticntively know it will sicken them. The Viceroy, a similarly colored butterfly, enjoys the same protection from birds, even though it feeds on other plants.

I never really thought about it until I read your post. We moved here about 18 months ago. There is no milkweed here at all. No poke weed or hog weed either. We only moved 38 miles out in to the country. Were we used to live there was poke weed, hog weed and milkweed everywhere. Not that I miss them.

 

[dbk123]

Yes, I've been acutely aware of the declining Monarch populations. Here in in Vermont, we have plenty of milkweed. However, we still get a lot of Monarchs in the fields where we encourage the milkweed growth. It's a great thing to see!

-dbk123

 

[Charlesaf3]

makes me want to plant some milkweed. Is that crazy?

 

[slowzuki]

Where we live there has never been milkweed until the last five years. I'm concerned because many varieties are toxic and I can't sell hay that has any in it.

Extremely difficult weed to kill too, it outcompetes grass easily and the growth from the root structure is crazy! Killing it early in the year produces a second crop here.