What can I spray in the woods to control unwanted growth but not harm trees?

[JeepHead]

So my woods was partially logged right before we purchased the property 19 months ago. The woods is absolutely invested with briars, weeds, and saplings. Is there anything I can spray on this that will help control that overgrowth but not harm the trees? It’s a large area so I would want to setup my ATV or tractor with a spray and tank spraying large area at a time, not walk around with a handheld prayer doing pinpoint sprays.

 

[Carl_NH]

With clear cutting, it's normal for the forest to grow back brushy with briars, then the trees take over and there are fewer briars—but it takes 10 years before the forest returns. If a select cut was done there should be fewer briars and weeds.

Anything that kills the brush will also kill other trees - best would be to grind it up or bush hog if its accessible, or a small flail mower with the brush knives.

 

[EddieWalker]

Just about anything with 2,4-D in it will work. In most places it's controlled, but you can buy it in one quart bottles without needing a license.

The trick is in the timing of when you spray. You want the weeds to be actively growing because that's when they are drawing the most nutrients into their growth. I've been told that it takes five years of spraying every Spring to get rid of everything. I've done it once and had good results, but then I keep the area mowed and that helps a lot too.

My wife is a Master Gardener and they don't like using chemicals if there are other methods that work. Their number one way to control weeds in a paster is regular mowing. I've found that it works too, but it takes longer to get there.

I had to buy a 70 hp cab tractor and 12 foot batwing to maintain my place. Before I was using a 37 hp open station tractor with a 6 foot cutter, and it was too slow to get it all done. The heat also kept me from mowing when I should of, but there is a limit to how much I'm willing to suffer just to mow a pasture. Now with the cab, I can mow during the worse heat of the day, and with the bigger cutter, I can get a lot more done in less time.

 

[gstrom99]

So my woods was partially logged right before we purchased the property 19 months ago. The woods is absolutely invested with briars, weeds, and saplings. Is there anything I can spray on this that will help control that overgrowth but not harm the trees? It’s a large area so I would want to setup my ATV or tractor with a spray and tank spraying large area at a time, not walk around with a handheld prayer doing pinpoint sprays.

What is your planned use of these "woods"? Size? Wildlife LOVE "briars, weeds and saplings".

Do you have garlic mustard? I fought that every year. It's invasive and will take over everywhere. Hand pull (and bag/remove) or spray herbicide.

2-4-D or glyphosate will setback or kill most weeds. Briars or saplings can be cut/mowed - then sprayed with strong glyphosate when they sprout back. Tordon kills better, but will stunt/kill the surrounding trees.

Call out your State Biologist for a (free) walk around and advice. I did that when I first got my Indiana hunting land.

 

[EddieWalker]

Another thing that I did that surprised me was getting goats. I had blackberries all over the place and spraying them didn't have any success. The worse area was next to my small pond. I could only mow so close to the edge, and the blackberries just got bigger every year. The areas I mowed, the blackberries just spread wider and chocked out the grass.

The goats ate the blackberries to the point that there is no sign of them ever existing. I knew that they ate a lot of things, but those blackberries where full of thorns and the goats ate them like candy!!!!!

 

[bcs001]

I am in a very dense and overgrown forested area that I have been slowly pushing the underbrush back from around the house and areas I have been opening up for various uses. What has been working for me is to mix glyphosate (2.5oz/gallon) and Triclopyr (remedy ultra 1.5oz/gallon) in a backpack sprayer and applying to the actively growing leaves around all the larger trees being left in place. Spraying 2 or 3 times during the spring and summer will kill most of the underbrush and then allow complete clearing with a blade on my weed eater and anvil clippers for the heavier dead stuff. Then any new regrowth the next spring are easily knocked down with another application. I try to be careful and not spray on the bark of the trees I am keeping and so far there has been no problems with any of those trees.

 

[JeepHead]

What is your planned use of these "woods"? Size? Wildlife LOVE "briars, weeds and saplings".

Do you have garlic mustard? I fought that every year. It's invasive and will take over everywhere. Hand pull (and bag/remove) or spray herbicide.

2-4-D or glyphosate will setback or kill most weeds. Briars or saplings can be cut/mowed - then sprayed with strong glyphosate when they sprout back. Tordon kills better, but will stunt/kill the surrounding trees.

Call out your State Biologist for a (free) walk around and advice. I did that when I first got my Indiana hunting land.

Hunting is my ultimate use. But I am not wanting to spray and kill off everything around the woods. I have a lot of trails going all over the woods and just want to keep the trail sides knocked back enough to navigate without being bombarded with everything. The misses likes to walk the trails and doesn't want all of that junk on her. Thanks for the info, I will look into that!

 

[JeepHead]

With clear cutting, it's normal for the forest to grow back brushy with briars, then the trees take over and there are fewer briars—but it takes 10 years before the forest returns. If a select cut was done there should be fewer briars and weeds.

Anything that kills the brush will also kill other trees - best would be to grind it up or bush hog if its accessible, or a small flail mower with the brush knives.

Yeah, I have been through this once before with my last property. It takes awhile for sure. It will get so thick you can barely even walk through, but the animals will flock to it...

 

[Carl_NH]

Yes - we had a farm in PA that had about 20 acres of neighboring woods clear cut - for the next 5-8 years in deer season we would walk the thicket and usually drove 4-6 deer into the fields as they like the thickets.

 

[2manyrocks]

IMO, you don't want to spray heavily and don't spray the trees you want to keep. The herbicides that are effective against woody plants are not good for your trees.

 

[jyoutz]

There are two general types of herbicides: foliar active and soil active. Foliar active will only kill the plant if sprayed on green actively growing leaves. It will not go into the soil and affect non-target plants. Soil active herbicides are also sprayed on the leaves, but will also translocate into the roots and the soil, potentially affecting trees and other non-target plants. Glyphosate (Roundup) is a foliar active chemical; tordon and hexazanone are soil active chemicals. Read the labels to determine the activity of herbicides to determine possible non-target effects.

 

[gstrom99]

Hunting is my ultimate use. But I am not wanting to spray and kill off everything around the woods. I have a lot of trails going all over the woods and just want to keep the trail sides knocked back enough to navigate without being bombarded with everything. The misses likes to walk the trails and doesn't want all of that junk on her. Thanks for the info, I will look into that!

The briars are good for wildlife, we just carried a clipper to cut them (and any other intrusives) back when mowing our trails. I always wanted to do a controlled burn which would clear the ground well, but never did.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

I use glysophate. Even if sprayed on most tree trunks it won't damage them. Its when you spray the green/foliage it systemically draws back into the tree and down to the roots. Even then may not kill it first few times.

I spray wild blackberries every year (to keep them from cross pollinating with my upick cash crop) and they always come back with vigor.

Thought about the goat idea, but they are so dang aggravating to keep in a fenced area.

 

[BigGG]

I use glysophate. Even if sprayed on most tree trunks it won't damage them. Its when you spray the green/foliage it systemically draws back into the tree and down to the roots. Even then may not kill it first few times.

I spray wild blackberries every year (to keep them from cross pollinating with my upick cash crop) and they always come back with vigor.

Thought about the goat idea, but they are so dang aggravating to keep in a fenced area.

I've found 2-4d+triclopyr CrossBow more effective against broad leaf stuff than glyphosate. Surfactant also helps.

 

[jyoutz]

I've found 2-4d+triclopyr CrossBow more effective against broad leaf stuff than glyphosate. Surfactant also helps.

True it’s more effective at killing target plants. 2-4-D is also soil active, so there’s risk of killing non-target trees.

 

[bcs001]

I've found 2-4d+triclopyr CrossBow more effective against broad leaf stuff than glyphosate. Surfactant also helps.

True it’s more effective at killing target plants. 2-4-D is also soil active, so there’s risk of killing non-target trees.

Glyphosate treats less woody plants which is why you can combine it (see my earlier post) with a brush killer like 2-4-D or triclophr and have an effective spray mixture for "complete kill" foliar application. I prefer the Triclophr (in Remedy Ultra) for heavier brush because it is sold mostly to farmers as a pasture reclamation chemical where it does not affect the grasses and livestock can then graze immediately after application.

 

[Diwali]

I can only reiterate what some have said; use a brush cutter or flail mower. Bramble etc. will give up if they cannot synthesise but it takes 2 - 3 years in my experience to eradicate them completely. I would avoid chemicals due to the potential damage to wildlife.
Another suggestion was goats and they will do a great job given time. Here in the UK there are companies that will hire out a herd of goats to clear brush. I don't know if they have that in the US but it's an environmentally friendly idea.

 

[LHF2019]

True it’s more effective at killing target plants. 2-4-D is also soil active, so there’s risk of killing non-target trees.

While yes there is a plant back restriction, I regularly use 2,4D, Mixes with 2,4d at high rates to bring my pastures in order for years. As long as one doesn't get it on the leaves the trees there is no effect to them. When it greens up I can provide pictures of the areas if anybody have any questions.

 

[JeepHead]

Where is the best place to purchase it in concentration? I need to mix up many gallons of this stuff.

 

[jyoutz]

Where is the best place to purchase it in concentration? I need to mix up many gallons of this stuff.

An ag chemical dealer. And I’ve seen it in bulk also at TSC.