Hay Making on a Different Scale

[MichiganIron]

Horse nettle is a miserable SOB

In some States / Counties, you aren't even allowed to eradicate it yourself. The county takes over, burns the field and sends you a bill. Soybeans are the major concern, since horsenettle can be harvested with the soybeans.

 

[LHF2019]

It is tough to completely eradicate. Control is more like it. We have some in all our fields. There is no getting away from it. It is a native species so meant to survive. Indians used the seeds for tea/medicine. I haven't tried it yet but is tempting just to do it. Seeds survive in the soil so all your doing is turning up new seeds with tillage. Best control is late fall before it frosts with herbicides so it gets drawn into the roots. Spraying during summer does nothing but reduce the tops. Other than that it is maintain a good stand and choke it out. Lime/fertilize and good stand of grass, however on dry years like we are having here there's nothing you can do. The grass is stunted and horse nettle has a good taproot. Guess which one grows.

 

[MichiganIron]

It is tough to completely eradicate. Control is more like it. We have some in all our fields. There is no getting away from it. It is a native species so meant to survive. Indians used the seeds for tea/medicine. I haven't tried it yet but is tempting just to do it. Seeds survive in the soil so all your doing is turning up new seeds with tillage. Best control is late fall before it frosts with herbicides so it gets drawn into the roots. Spraying during summer does nothing but reduce the tops. Other than that it is maintain a good stand and choke it out. Lime/fertilize and good stand of grass, however on dry years like we are having here there's nothing you can do. The grass is stunted and horse nettle has a good taproot. Guess which one grows.

Toxic to horses and most animals. We have a good local farm service that is used to dealing with this stuff. We will disc this fall after this burn, and then spray again next spring. Discing in the fall helps bring the dormant seeds up, so the spring application has a second chance to catch new growth. Will be tricky, since horsenettle is a late bloomer. Getting seed in the ground as early as possible next spring, hopefully.