Pictures from a skid steer mowing contractor

[Hay Dude]

About 6-8 years ago, a few of my biggest buyers started asking questions about herbicides. I told them I used them sparingly. 2 actually asked me if they could buy hay with no herbicides. I warned them there would be some weeds and they said they didnt care. They continued to buy and even referred me to a few others who bought more.
I parked the sprayer and haven’t used it but maybe one or 2 fields since then. In my area there seems to be a movement away from using herbicides.
Then I started moving hay to beef cattle customers trying to sell beef as “organic”.
Figured what the heck, if that’s what people want and I can save money and be more environmentally friendly, just do it.

 

[LD1]

My business is building and maintaining athletic fields. I use the active ingredient 'metsulfuron' for control of bahia grass in athletic fields. It is also the best thing for Virginia Buttonweed control, and a few other broadleaf weeds. And it is inexpensive. I'm not sure how, or if, it is labeled for pastures, but I think it is.

~$60 for half a pint is pretty pricy. But I read the label and rates of 1/2oz-1oz per acre...that stuff is pretty potent. So ~$15-$30/acre I guess aint too bad.

Up here we have crabgrass. Dont look like its listed to kill that.
As with most herbicides.....They either kill "grass" or they dont. So there are few that kill "selective" grasses like crabgrass, yet leave the desirable grasses.

The two common ones up here are Quinclorac and Tenacity (Mesotrione). But are expensive. Tenacity at 4-8oz per acre and $75/pint put it $40/acre on the low end. The Quinclorac is also about $40/acre.

I have been using triclopyr on my yard. I just want grass....crab grass dont really bother me. But the clover does. 24d wont touch clover.....and used a 3-way like trimec or triplet for a few years and while it does put a hurting on the clover....and probably kills half of it....it just isnt the right product. But its cheaper. Closer to $15-$20/acre. But the triclopyr for about the same $$/acre really whacks the clover good.

I see its listed for clover.....but in the real world, how does the metsulfuron work on clover at one of the lighter 1/2oz or less per acre rates?? I might have to switch to it over the triclopyr.

 

[Hay Dude]

Horses LOVE crab grass.
Herbies will kill all the clover, too.

Crab grass & clover for horses is like ice cream and hot fudge to people.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

~$60 for half a pint is pretty pricy. But I read the label and rates of 1/2oz-1oz per acre...that stuff is pretty potent. So ~$15-$30/acre I guess aint too bad.

You can see it here

Amazon.com

on Amazon for $4.29 per ounce so at 0.5 oz. per acre thats $2.15 per acre. It does work well on white clover. I use it mostly for bahia grass and virginia buttonweed control

 

[LD1]

You can see it here

Amazon.com

on Amazon for $4.29 per ounce so at 0.5 oz. per acre thats $2.15 per acre. It does work well on white clover. I use it mostly for bahia grass and virginia buttonweed control

What rate do you use it at? 1/2oz per acre?

 

[Complete Turf Care]

What rate do you use it at? 1/2oz per acre?

I generally go with a 0.75 oz. rate. If the weed population is heavy, I will go with the 1.0 oz rate.

 

[Hay Dude]

I used to use the following combo and weeds seldom returned:

2-4-D
Cimmaron
Clarity
Surfactant

Those 3 together killed multi flora rose, thistle, clover, hemp dogbane, you name it.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I used to use the following combo and weeds seldom returned:

2-4-D
Cimmaron
Clarity
Surfactant

Those 3 together killed multi flora rose, thistle, clover, hemp dogbane, you name it.

2,4-D can not be applied here most of the year. The reason is that it has a very high potential for drift. And with all the cotton and soybeans grown around here, there is too much risk.

There have been documented cases of 2,4-D being applied to a rice field, then getting up and moving several miles across the Mississippi River and damaging cotton fields.

 

[tradosaurus]

Can't quite wrap my head around the thousands of dollars people pay for a skidsteer and brush cutter.

Over here, a 100HP tractor with a chain brush cutter will cost about $100 to $120/hour and will run circles around the skidsteer while leaving the same, if not a better finish most of the times.

About the only thing that would beat it in finish would be a mulcher, but even that is ran off the tractor.

The only disadvantage for a tractor owner buying a chain brush cutter is the HP needed to run it. My 55 hp tractor isn't big enough.

 

[Hay Dude]

2,4-D can not be applied here most of the year. The reason is that it has a very high potential for drift. And with all the cotton and soybeans grown around here, there is too much risk.

There have been documented cases of 2,4-D being applied to a rice field, then getting up and moving several miles across the Mississippi River and damaging cotton fields.

Yes, ”inversion” can cause thermal updrift.
It has happened here, too. We use an additive to help reduce drift.
Never had an issue in 20+ years (that I know of).