What implement works best for controlling weeds, foxtails.

[cat fever]

That is so funny :laughing: I had to do the same thing you did with the goat heads, after it rained I would go out with a trash can, dust pan, and knee pads, pull the goat head plant out by hand then sweep all the stickers from under the plant, and I did this with five acres. I could not believe how many stickers were under each plant that I pulled up, thousands. I had to change all my tires to the thickest ply I could find because of flats.

You are correct about mowing foxtails close to the ground, all they do is seed close to the ground.

I was looking at spring tooth harrows like the one Jeff9366 posted but don't see any small ones with wheels like you have. My tractor has 32hp. and the rear tires are loaded with rim guard.

How do I work a slope safely, can I use a spring tooth harrow on a slope, or do I risk a mud slide when winter hits.View attachment 508966View attachment 508967

Thanks for all the great ideas guys. Really helping a lot.:thumbsup:

No kidding here; in some areas where they were real thick, we took the shop vac out and sucked up all the seed/goatheads. I'm sure the neighbors thought I'd lost my mind. :confused3: Goatheads are the most evil plant in the world.:banghead:

 

[jeff9366]

Three more Tool Bar Cultivators , which can be equipped with spring tines, cultivating shovels, or other interchangeable ground contact attachments.

BUCKEYE TRACTOR CO: Buckeye Tractor Online Catalog Page 11-02 Toolbar Cultivators

WOODWARD CROSSING: 3 Pt. Hitch, Toolbar, Cultivators, Sweeps, S-Tines, Disc Hillers, & More!

UNVERFERTH 'PERFECTA': https://media.unverferth.com/unverferth/tillage/perfecta-field-cultivator.pdf


SHOVELS, SWEEPS AND POINTS FOR CULTIVATORS: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/360864-ferguson-sweeps-shovels.html

 

[fishwhiz]

Once you get to the stage of killing off the new sprouts and can't burn, try your spray rig. If you squirm at roundup, give vinegar a try. After one wades through the garbage hobbyists sites, this comes up as a qualified discussion out of Wyoming for vinegar vs roundup weed control They mention salt, but I'd steer clear of that in most soils. Remember, this is for new sprouts. For established plants, a stronger herbicide than vinegar is required.

 

[Texasmark]

I see your rototiller in the picture. I just bought one in March. I haven't worked my hay patch for several years and really worked it over this year with 1. Hay King Pasture Renovator which is a subsoiler that cut the soil down to about 10"; 2. Then was the rolling disc version of the moldboard plow (moldboards get gummed up in black clay), then the 3. Offset plow, then 4. The disc Harrow, 5. Then the roto tiller, 6. Then the fertilizer spreader, 7. then the spike toothed harrow, 8. Then the grain drill, 9. And then the packer........this all took a couple of weeks.

Then the rains came on time for a change and in about a week heads started showing up. Not the sudan-sorghum seeds I planted initially, but Foxtail and Yellow Nutsedge.

You ainta gonna kill either with steel. Takes chemicals and considering the trillions of seeds a field of either generates, pre emergent (which I never used....too lazy I guess) every year would be necessary.

After pushing 40 years of attempting (futile) to rid my fields of such, that's my humble opinion.

 

[Catman8]

You ainta gonna kill either with steel. Takes chemicals and considering the trillions of seeds a field of either generates, pre emergent (which I never used....too lazy I guess) every year would be necessary.

After pushing 40 years of attempting (futile) to rid my fields of such, that's my humble opinion.

Thank you for your insight, I'm starting to understand that there are million of seeds and they will lie dormant for years, neighbor across the street has been spraying for years and still can't stop the weeds. At this point my main goal is to turn the weeds over before they seed, once I have more time in my life to grow a crop I will try that, but my only objective right now is finding an implement that will tear out the weeds before they have a chance to produce those nasty foxtails that get stuck in everything, an implement that I can use that's a faster pace than tilling. Sounds like the consensus is tilling below 10" first then using a cultivator over the top before they turn green or sprout.

 

[IslandTractor]

Thank you for your insight, I'm starting to understand that there are million of seeds and they will lie dormant for years, neighbor across the street has been spraying for years and still can't stop the weeds. At this point my main goal is to turn the weeds over before they seed, once I have more time in my life to grow a crop I will try that, but my only objective right now is finding an implement that will tear out the weeds before they have a chance to produce those nasty foxtails that get stuck in everything, an implement that I can use that's a faster pace than tilling. Sounds like the consensus is tilling below 10" first then using a cultivator over the top before they turn green or sprout.

Probably less effort and cost overall to simply mow twice as often and mow low. Again, I have no experience with foxglove but that strategy works for most weeds.

 

[Catman8]

Probably less effort and cost overall to simply mow twice as often and mow low. Again, I have no experience with foxglove but that strategy works for most weeds.

I wish I could mow low, but unfortunately it is an uneven field with rodents that burrow the ground and make mounds of dirt and the foxtails start seeding right out of the ground, I've tried it with my flail mower and all I'm doing is mowing mounds of dirt from the rodents, and the flail mower is not designed for mowing dirt. So my only option is turning the dirt over before they go to seed.

 

[Dadnatron]

Mow... Mow... Mow...

Foxtails are an annual which requires replenishing the ground seed stock via new seed each year. While there will be ungerminated seed from previous years, if you prevent seed heads, this will eventually decrease significantly.

However, you are saying that the 'normal flora' of the area is foxtails, but you don't want to kill them off? You also say that other grasses are unlikely to grow because you can't water it. You might be stuck, because, unless you are willing to spray it then plant an alternative. Even if you mow before seed head, SOMETHING will end up taking its place, and will have to be able to survive your climate.

 

[jeff9366]

I speculate that a coil-spring protected Field Cultivator would destroy rodent burrows with one pass. After two or three burrow destruction experiences rodents will probably seek a safer site.

I trust your house is a good distance from the field with this rodent infestation~~~~~~

( I do not have ground burrowing rodents in Florida.)

 

[jeff9366]

Sounds like the consensus is tilling below 10" first then using a cultivator over the top before they turn green or sprout.

Perhaps better: Till as deep as you reasonably can to disturb 9" deep rooted PERENNIAL weeds, then drag field with your Chain Harrow set in it most abrasive iteration once per week, NEVER missing a week during the ANNUAL weed growing season, to kill visible and invisible freshly germinated seeds before seedlings green up.

After Chain Harrow drag season ends sow some type of desirable cover crop, perhaps ANNUAL wild flowers, to compete with noxious weeds. There are many specialized wild flower blends for California.

Unintended consequence: A very smooth field.


If you are in heat for an additional implement I recommend either a coil-spring protected Field Cultivator or some type of S-tine cultivator. S-tine Cultivators come in many variations of robustness with many variations in tips. I cannot speculate which of the two, Field Cultivaor or S-tine Cultivator, is optimal.

Field Cultivator is more robust. Field Cultivator is for ripping = deep soil penetration. Field Cultivator does NOT cover 100% by design.
S-tine Cultivators do not penetrate like coil-spring Field Cultivators but many cover 100% of soil surface behind your tractor.

Sizing to your tractor may be tricky. Check with venders. Cross-check here.


Personally, I would apply pre-emergent, germination inhibiting, herbicide in late Winter and a second time in early Spring.