Mesquite Thorns: Slime vs. Ultraseal

[perdurabo]

Why is it that most of the "recipes" for mesquite control have you mix BOTH remedy and reclaim (at $100/gallon for each)? Why cant you JUST spray reclaim since its advertised to be the best anti-mesquite herbicide available?

Why can't you shred or chainsaw mesquite then spray the cut tops/stumps with only one kind of herbicide? That seems to work with other types of brush, why not mesquite?

 

[For God and Texas]

You can use just one. It is usually just to make sure that you get all of the wood like plants that you mix remedy and reclaim. Unless you have an applicators license you can only get Reclaim. Remedy does not list mequite but goes after other broadleaf pasture plants that Remedy misses. If you add Tardon you can go after cactus as well.

 

[perdurabo]

The Tractor Supply stores in Cedar Park, Bastrop and Lockhart all carry both Remedy and Reclaim on the shelf, at $100/gallon for each. So far as I can tell, no license required.

 

[Wood_Butcher_Dav]

Another option for your tires would be to have them foam filled. It's about 3 times the cost of sealer, but it will last the life of the tire. Check a tire shop that does tractor tires they should provide this service.

Dave

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

PERDURABO,

I forgot to mention that maybe if you contact your USDA agent, you might be able to get federal assistance money to help reclaim hay production. My wife's uncle got it for 30 acres and I think they paid about 1/2 or more of the costs including dozer work.

 

[texasjohn]

Welcome to TBN, For God and Texas, you are close to my world, I'm just North of Georgetown. Your experience matches mine regarding mesquite eradication... and, I've almost completely eradicated mine after quite a few years of spraying individual plants that come up from seeds each year.

OP, the answer to your question about cutting mesquite and then covering the stumps is as follows:

Mesquite is a legume... and it has buds that run along the roots for quite a ways underground... and the roots not only go down, but sprangle out underground... unless you completely soak the ground to a depth of about 1 foot and out beyond the drip line of the plant, you will not get all these buds via the cut and then spray approach. Unless you get EVERY one of the buds, the plant will regrow. This approach is neither effective or cost effective.

Either reclaim or remedy, properly applied, singly or in combination, will kill the plant...80 to 95% of the plants anyway....the herbicide enters the plant via the leaves (and then to the roots) or the stem (then the roots) depending on the herbicide. New plants will continue to sprout from seeds already in the ground for at least 15 years .

The point is, mesquite is NOT like other woody plants you have experience with... and, you simply are doomed to failure unless you follow the best recommendations of those who have studied it and have gained years of experience fighting it.

 

[wushaw]

Something I think was interesting;

I had a mesquite stump that I cut flush with the ground in 02 that is in my ft. yard, this year it decided it wanted to start growing again, the stump had been covered with dirt all these years. I fixed it for good with my BH.

Mesquite is very tenacious tree that does very well in the grill.

 

[twarr1]

You can buy the Reclaim and Remedy over the counter. The Tardon requires an applicators license.

I use the Slime on my fronts, have had pretty good luck with it.

 

[Lacal]

Boy am I glad I found this site. I was planning to just cut and then rip out the mesquites, but it sounds like it won't be that easy. So my question is if I use one of the products recommended will it prevent me from growing anything where I applied the herbicide?

 

[texasjohn]

You will be extremely pleased if you use either Reclaim or Remedy. They are both extremely specific to Mesquite. My personal experience is that NOTHING else is significantly harmed by these chemicals.

Grass continues to grow or increase in the vicinity of where it is used.

I've had several different kinds of brush and/or vines intertwined with a mesquite bush. Impossible to not get chemical on both the mesquite and the other plants. 1 year later, vines and other brush is growing fine... and there is a dead mesquite bush in the center of the clump.

In order of my perceived impact on non mesquite:
Reclaim - absolutely no impact
Remedy - extremely slight inconsequential impact.

Check out the Brushbusters brochures from Texas A&M for application details, etc. PM me if you have specific questions.

 

[perdurabo]

I've been dragging my heels too much on this and my mesquite problem has only gotten worse. I'm still not totally sure what the best solution is. I'm eventually going to want to plant that whole 6 acre field I have but I'm not sure what the best/most cost effective solution is.

Most of the mesquite trees are 4-6' by now so even if I spray them theres all the stumps and trunks to contend with. Of all the dozer operators in the area, the only one with a dozer big enough to run a root plow (or even has a root plow) wants $110/hr for his work, which seems awful high.

I can't find anyplace within a decent range who will rent me a dozer with a root plow either (well, Holt Cat will, but its a D6 for $4k/wk). I can rent a JD450 from Derrick Rental is Bastrop for about $1200/wk, but that's certainly not big enough to run a root plow, even if they could find me one. If I just use a dozer with a blade like a JD 450, I'll just end up making more brush piles that will never get burned because the burn ban is never off for more than a couple days. I'll also end up with a lot of roots and stumps still left in the soil as well. I need the soil cleared and loose enough that I can plow it with a Kubota L3400 and a 5' disc.

Any recommendations?

 

[texasjohn]

Spray NOW..... your kill % will be less than optimum... but, my experience is that mesquite send up some new growth in the fall and does one final replenishment of its root system.... so a spray before 1st freeze will be still beneficial... probably get 50% to 70% kill, depending on various things.... then, spray again in the spring....

You see how expensive any mechanical method is.

So is a chemical method, but more sure, IMHO, since you spray each plant...

It will take patience, but in a year or two you will have a clean field... you are right about all the thorns left from the dead brush... suggest you plan a controlled burn after almost all of the bushes are dead... grass should have grown up sufficient to propagate the burn. Dry and dead brush should burn as well....

You can get a chisel plow... pull it behind your tractor to loosen up the dirt and pull up the roots...after the burn... you can remove shanks until you are happy with the match between your tractor's pulling ability and the ground destruction you are achieving. It will take several passes... at angles from each other.... first pass will not look like it is doing much... let things sit for a while... rain on it once or so... then make second pass about 30 degrees from the first... angle not critical, just need to pull somewhat across prior pull and 90 degrees is horribly bumpy and doesn't do very well either. 3rd pass at an angle to the other two.

This will likely leave the land busted up to depth of about 10 inches or so with roots rearranged a bunch... and pulled loose....

4 to 6 foot trees are not that bad... I had to get out an entire thicket of 20foot plus trees... took me 5 years to get into the entire area with herbicide... about 20 acres.

The task looks impossible... but get started and whittle away at it and you will get there....

If you do decide to go the mechanical removal method... STILL be prepared to spray some later... the things will continue to come up...

 

[wushaw]

My method was chainsaw, backhoe for stumps and my 28" Snapper rear engine rider to mow the thorns. It takes time and alot of work especially when you are a one man crew.
I would cut the trees and put them in a pile in the winter, mow thorns and then dig stumps in the summer and put in same pile and burn in winter.
I don't recommend my method, it's hard work....I enjoyed every minute of it though.