(edited)Agronomy
Has anyone found a way to rid a hay field of milkweed and dogbane?
This year a neighbor gave 26 acres to me to take hay off. All I had to do is add inputs as needed. In the past these fields were cut for mulch hay and the weeds would just add bulk for them. I knew I wouldn't take hay this year but I have been mowing it before the weeds go to seed.. The milkweed and dogbane are scattered in some areas while others are large sections. I haven't found any herbicide that actually works. Any ideas?
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Add a non-Ionic surfactant with your group 4 herbicide of choice and you will curl them. It is also beneficial to spray before the weeds reach reproductive stage.
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When I used crossbow the instructions mentioned not to use surfactant. I will try others and add it. Thanks
My brother in law tried remedy herbicide. He felt like he got the emerged plants with one application put had new plants on the fringes of the old patches. If you're not selling the hay or concerned about residual carryover, I like grazon for most broadleaf problems.
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Thanks. I can't sell this hay like it is so what ever I have to do.
I haven't heard that before. I already added enough liquid calcium to raise the ph from 5.5 to 7.0. Hopefully that will help next spring.
Thanks
I looked in my when weeds talk book and it seems if you address available calcium it would help with the milkweed. You could try adding 100lbs of gypsum per acre. If nothing else the sulfur will help your hay.
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Pretty sure I got the book from the Acres USA website
Got a picture of the front cover of that book?
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Thanks. I'll look into these. I sprayer crossbow two weeks ago and looking at it yesterday the leaves looked like they took a beating but the stem kept growing and produced nice Green leaves above the sprayed one's. Grrrrr
2-4D with Banvel. will take couple 3 years on the Dogbane. .plus I started a couple years ago using 1-2 quart of ProwelH2O in early spring with nitrogen application. .If u apply Nitrogen after 1st cut do 1 quart early spring then 1 quart after 1st...not the cheapest but if you sell 2nd cut you will easily see your ROI..or if your feeding all your hay you won't be spreading weed seeds.all.over you...
I used the highest amount recommended for hay/pasture. Maybe after a couple of applications in the spring and fall it mightwork better. Thanks for your response
Higher rate maybe? We had E3 beans this year and absolutely nothing survived even the lower rate of enlist which is just safer 24D
It doesn't do much except brown the edges of the leaves.
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Don't know much about hay but won't 24-D work?