Applying RoundUp

[Grippie]

I am renting a new hay field (6 acres) starting this year that hasnt had any seed or fertilizer in at least 10 years. Needless to say this field is mostly weeds. I want to try killing everything in the field- disc it, and re seed next year. I normally plow and re seed with a cover crop but I want to try NOT plowing.
When is the best time to apply roundup? In the fall or spring? Just before a frost? Just after a frost? Any info or experiences would be appreciated.

thanks,

 

[Bez+]

I am renting a new hay field (6 acres) starting this year that hasnt had any seed or fertilizer in at least 10 years. Needless to say this field is mostly weeds. I want to try killing everything in the field- disc it, and re seed next year. I normally plow and re seed with a cover crop but I want to try NOT plowing.
When is the best time to apply roundup? In the fall or spring? Just before a frost? Just after a frost? Any info or experiences would be appreciated.

thanks,

Usually the best time to apply a chemical like this is during growth spurts in the plants - in my area of Canada that means spring - April - May and sometimes as late as June. I use the flowers on the weeds as my indicator - if they are just starting to form an unopened flower pod, the plant is in full grow mode and trying to make seeds. Spray before the flower opens.

Plus a short growth time in September.

The folks that sell you your chemical are locals - they will have the best idea for your area - if they do not - then do not buy their product - even if you have to spend a bit more, you need the advice of professionals - and surely a few extra bucks is worth it to get the job done right.

Be aware you might have to spray twice - weed seeds that are in the ground from a couple of years ago have the habit of sprouting just when you do not want them to.

If you do not want to plow, why not use 2-4-D to kill the broad leaf weeds - and broadcast the seed prior to winter - or in early spring - or no-till drill it in?

A good catch of grass will help choke out any weeds that stay behind.

Probably cheaper and usually works as good. We do this at home.

One thing for sure - you get advice from someone here who lives in a dry part of the world or a hot part of the world - it may not be appropriate for you.

Up state New York is similar to that of southern Quebec and Ontario - lots of folks there who farm - I am one of them. So take it all with a grain of salt and then talk to the people who do it for a living - your ag advisors - where you buy this stuff - or the farmer down the road who does it for a living - one thing for sure I bet he hits it in early spring - short grass and weeds - gets it all.

Or he may do a selective kill - and roundup does not allow this.

There may be better chemicals for you to use - kill the weed and keep the grass - so do not be in a hurry to kill everything - do your homework.

Regards

Bez+

 

[novatech]

Spray as close as you can to planting date. Than will kill everything that has germinated up to that time. I believe you have to wait at least 10 days after spraying. I may be wrong on that so read the instructions. You may have to spray twice if the weed stand is thick or tall. The spray may have a hard time reaching the plants on the bottom. Another thing is that everything has already gone to seed in the fall and to me it would be a total waste of money. You may want to mow now and catch the new growth in the spring.

 

[Grippie]

Great advise guys. Thanks,

 

[ga. prime]

You don't have to wait any time to plant seeds after roundup application. You can plant seeds before or after roundup application. In fact I have on numerous occasions planted seeds and then the same day or the next, before the seeds sprout, applied roundup with no ill effects.

 

[Weaver]

We plant 400 acres of no till crops a year and it has been a general rule around here to wait a minimum of 3 days before planting. Most suggest a week if you have the time. If you spray and then cut up the plant such as with the coulters on a planter or drill, the roundup may not have time to work its way through the plant and may only be on the part of the plant you just cut off from the rest.

 

[ga. prime]

Weaver, the reasoning you just gave is why I apply roundup after planting but before the seeds sprout.

 

[msscamp]

I am renting a new hay field (6 acres) starting this year that hasnt had any seed or fertilizer in at least 10 years. Needless to say this field is mostly weeds. I want to try killing everything in the field- disc it, and re seed next year. I normally plow and re seed with a cover crop but I want to try NOT plowing.
When is the best time to apply roundup? In the fall or spring? Just before a frost? Just after a frost? Any info or experiences would be appreciated.

thanks,

Is the pasture irrigated? How much rain do you normally get in a year? If the pasture is irrigated(or you get a fairly high amount of rainfall), and the grass is a desirable type of grass, you might want to consider simply spraying something like 2-4D to kill the weeds regularly, apply a little fertilizer, and allow the grass to do it's thing. With less competition from the weeds the grass should take off and choke out the weeds pretty quickly. Generally speaking, anytime you kill off everything you're issuing an engraved invitation for the weeds (and possibly cheatgrass) to take over, sap all of the moisture, and prevent the grass from germinating - that is how it is in my area, maybe your area is different, though.

 

[Weaver]

ga. prime, It is generally accepted around here that if you are using roundup to kill the existing vegatation so you can plant, you do that preplant. If you plant before spraying, and your coulters cut a weed off at ground level, then when you spray, you have a much smaller target for that roundup to hit. Also, roundup works best if the weeds ar healthy and actively growing. If you run the drill across the field chopping them up,the weeds will be stressed and may not have the desired result. Ga. prime, not to say that you method wont work, just throwing the southern illinois ideas out there. Take them for what they are worth. When we want to get in a field and don't want to wait on the roundup to work we use gramoxone after planting with good results. We used it on a field we were putting into sorghum-sudan hybrid and it cost less than $11/acre which i thought was reasonable. Also just had the fertilizer applied with the gramoxone which isn't possible using roundup

 

[ga. prime]

Weaver, I completely understand your reasoning and agree that spraying a few days pre plant is likely better for the reasons you stated. I've done it pre and post plant and see little difference. The point I have tried but failed to make is that applying roundup to a seedbed any length of time before seed sprout is not detrimental to the seeded plants because of the fact that roundup very quickly is neutralized after soil contact.

 

[alabama]

For what it is worth. The guys around here spray round up through a sprayer hooked to the back of the cotton planter. They no-till the cotton in and spray just a second behind. The round up is carried in a tank mounted on the front of the tractor. They say it saves a trip over the field.

 

[Jogeephus]

Can't really add much to what has been said but there are a couple of things I've seen that you might want to keep in mind. There is a law of nature on the lines that msscamp said, "nature hates a vaccum". So the longer you have between the killing and the planting is a longer time period nature will have to fill the vaccum.

For killing, fall is the best time to kill plants - in this area anyway. I supplied the UGA with some land for a chemical experiment using various cocktails. Each was applied in the spring and fall. The results were surprising and led one chemical company to change its labelling to fall applications rather than spring. But again, on herbaceous stuff in a field, you still gotta consider the vaccum principle.

Just some things to consider.

 

[dun]

You also have to consider the hertbicide and the plant your trying to kill. Spraying 2,4-d in the fall to kill buttercups wouldn;t do anygood. Neither would trying to kill crabgrass with glyposate in the fall do anygood since it won;t start to grow until the following summer.

 

[Jogeephus]

You also have to consider the hertbicide and the plant your trying to kill. Spraying 2,4-d in the fall to kill buttercups wouldn;t do anygood. Neither would trying to kill crabgrass with glyposate in the fall do anygood since it won;t start to grow until the following summer.

I have played around with stuff and once tried to beat the vaccum. My goal was a 100% weed eradication under some pines. What actually happened was I released 10,000,000 coffee bean seed.

Like you say, you need to identify your potential weed problem. Try not to unearth any more seed than is abosolutely neccessary - ie no till. Then get the seed in the ground and up before something undesirable fills the vaccum.

 

[novatech]

I read that spraying immediately after planting with -2-4-D would help retard weed growth. I was not aware that it would act as a pre emergent.

 

[Jogeephus]

I read that spraying immediately after planting with -2-4-D would help retard weed growth. I was not aware that it would act as a pre emergent.

It does to an extent. 2,4-D will screw up something in the seed of Texas Millet - which is a big competitor in our newly established hay fields - where the millet cannot put down a good root system. It retards root growth somehow. You will see dwarfish sized plants that you can simply kick and they will come out of the ground. A little drought stress and many die. I always apply 2 pints/acre over new spriggings.

 

[dun]

I read that spraying immediately after planting with -2-4-D would help retard weed growth. I was not aware that it would act as a pre emergent.

It does to an extent. 2,4-D will screw up something in the seed of Texas Millet - which is a big competitor in our newly established hay fields - where the millet cannot put down a good root system. It retards root growth somehow. You will see dwarfish sized plants that you can simply kick and they will come out of the ground. A little drought stress and many die. I always apply 2 pints/acre over new spriggings.

Boy, if only it worked like that on crabgrass, goosegrass and giant foxtail

 

[novatech]

Boy, if only it worked like that on crabgrass, goosegrass and giant foxtail

The problem I have in this sandy soil is with grass burrs. After roundup on the native bermuda the grass burrs come in like I just planted a field of rye. Then I have to round up again before sprigging.

 

[Grippie]

thanks for all the replies.
Ok so I'm stupid... this field is really bad. Golden Rod, Milkweed etc. I should wait until spring when everything is starting to bloom to spray?

 

[Jogeephus]

thanks for all the replies.
Ok so I'm stupid... this field is really bad. Golden Rod, Milkweed etc. I should wait until spring when everything is starting to bloom to spray?

I would hit it with Roundup about 2 weeks before I went to plant it. If the stuff is tall, I'd mow it about three weeks prior to this then wait a week or so then spray roundup. I'd also doctor the roundup a little with a good surfactant and possibly add some ammonium sulphate to make it a little hotter. Once brown and down, I'd also consider burning the field before planting the seed.

dun writ

Boy, if only it worked like that on crabgrass, goosegrass and giant foxtail

If I'm not badly mistaken it does work on crabgrass too don't know about the others cause I don't know what they are. 2,4-D doesn't exactly stop the weeds from sprouting and you still have them in the field its just they don't flourish. I did a trial once where I sprayed some of the field and didn't spray the other section. It was a marked difference in the amount of competition. Saved from having to mow the weeds. Don't really understand why it works just know it helps.