Weeds/Brush in Hay and Pasture Fields

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

So guys/girls what are you using/have used to control weeds/brush in hay and pasture fields? Sorry don't send me a link to a label I can do that myself. I'm looking for details. What was the weed/brush you were looking to control, the rate you used, sprayer set up, adjuvant used, weather conditions, etc. Did it work? Cost per acre? I'm fighting mutiflora rose, Indian currant(buck berry) a couple different thistle varieties, iron weed, and others. I used 2,4-D at an 11oz/A rate with a sticker last year. JD 4630 sprayer 90ft booms 20 gallon water per acre. It slooooooooooowly killed the iron weed, nothing on milkweed, nothing on horsenettle, smoked some locust brush, puckered up but didn't kill blackberry vines. It killed a few spots of alfalfa but not all. No damage to red or white clover. Cheap enough at about $5 an acre. What experiences have you had? Details please.

 

[Kentuckyfarmer]

I live just down the road from you and am fighting weeds in the pasture also. Previous owner had horses and over grazed a lot of it. Horses are the worse thing on pastures if you ask me. There is lots of grass and clover left and before spraying I fertilized it last spring and bush hogged it about 7 times cutting the weeds before they went to seed. Lots of weeds are annual and by-annual. This year I'm going to keep it cut again often and next year spray for what's left. Also giving it a break gives the grass and clover time to recover. I don't know what I'm going to use just yet but there is several things to choose from. This fall hit it with some more fertilizer again. Sorry I can't help more. Just things I did in the past that has helped in controlling weeds.

 

[Briar Hill Brittanys]

Found this today, http://offices.ext.vt.edu/augusta/programs/anr/forages/pasture-herbicide-recipes.pdf . Pretty good info.

More.

http://extension.missouri.edu/cedar/documents/PastureWeedBrush2014.pdf

HTH. Mark

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

Thanks for the reply KyFarmer. I've about worn out a bush hog on weed brush control with little success. I clip my pasture at 8-12 in and that does little to control weeds/brush. I'm looking for a herbicide control that works in our area. According to the soil samples fertility and pH are good.

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

Thanks for the reply Blair Hill. What have you used on your pasture/hay field? What was your target weed?

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Late reply here, but you might consider using Crossbow. Here's the description of it:

"Crossbow Herbicide has two active ingredients, 2,4-D - 34.4% and Triclopyr - 16.5% for use of unwanted woody plants. Crossbow Herbicide provides excellent control of woody plants and brushes such as poison oak without harming grasses. It is a selective, post-emergent herbicide, which also provides control of annual and perennial broadleaf weeds. There are no grazing restrictions, except lactating dairy animals, and it is rain fast within two hours."

You might also consider mixing the 2-4-d a little stronger. I don't remember the rate I applied it at (per the instructions), but I think it was more than 11 ounces per acre.

 

[powerscol]

While in Colorado I cant help much, but use a fortified 2-4-D call Spectraside at the recommended rates +10% This product was recommended by my local COOP. I got the application rates from them. MY local agg extension office was also a great help too. I did need to do some spot treatments with generic round up on the thistle. When I first started it was overgrazed and did cut it numerous times to kill off the annual weeds before they went to seed. Hope this helps.

 

[disco]

Hello
It's pouring rain. Well I raise a straight grass hay. Selling mainly to horse owners. When I took over this farm had a lot of the same problems. We use Grazon. Works great. After using for a couple of years we backed off to every 3 years. It has a residue that will carry for a while. Not recommended if the manure is going to be used on a garden. Kills brush. I use this to spot spray saplings in my CRP.