getting rid of sagebrush?
- Thread starter milkmaid
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Well i tried what everyone says to do, lime it. Let me explain what I did. I spread 2 ton per acre in alternating strips 50 ft wide. One strip no lime , one strip lime. One year later I could not tell any difference except the grass was thicker, the second year I saw a reduction but not near a drastic as I had hoped. I tried pulling an aerway along with the lime, it worked better but still sage. The only sure fire way is to till the soil(ever seen broomsedge in soybeans or corn?). The next best is to aerate the lime into the soil,fertilize heavy,drill grass seed thick, and pray for rain. Good grass will over compete and push the sedge back. You must remenber broomsedge is the native grass in Tennessee, if nature is left alone she will revert to native grass. Pasture and hay is a crop we must manage like such if we are to win the battle.
Brush hog will take the tops off, kinda hard on the brush hog if its big though. I had to get some out of a fenceline last year to rebuild it. I wrapped a chain aroung the base of the plant and pulled them out with a tractor. These were huge sagebrush. You either have to plow it or pull it. We like some sagebrush in our pastures though. Gives the cows hiding places for the calves in the winter, and holds some snow to help the grass grow in the spring.
Bobg
Well-known member
In Montana we would hook a heavy chain or cable (think 1 inch diameter) between two Cats or 4x4 JD's that was about 100 feet long and drag it. It would take a couple of times over, but you could usually get them all pulled up. We then pushed them into piles with a brush rake on the tractor and burned them in the winter.
Bob
Bob
ga. prime
Well-known member
Seriously, Bob. It takes two JDs and a one inch cable to pull up a bush?Bobg":2prkbv81 said:
ga. prime
Well-known member
Very interesting. Toughest things to pull up I've found are Blackgums, Hickories, and Pecans. Each of those, by the time they reach 3 or 4 inch diameter have a tap root to match tree diameter about 8 ft deep.
Rangenerd
Well-known member
1) burn it, sagebrush is very fire sensitive.
2) spray it, Like all broadleafs, 2-4d will kill it
3) Chaining, pull the cable or chain between the tractors
4) run you cattle in the pasture when it is frozen, The cattle can break it off when it is frozen.
5) cut it off with mower. works but it is hard on mower especially if you hit a rock.
2) spray it, Like all broadleafs, 2-4d will kill it
3) Chaining, pull the cable or chain between the tractors
4) run you cattle in the pasture when it is frozen, The cattle can break it off when it is frozen.
5) cut it off with mower. works but it is hard on mower especially if you hit a rock.
RanchManager
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Rangenerd is right, good list. We have also used a grader, just skimming the ground close enough to clip it off at ground level. Burning is probably the most cost effective means if you can accept the risks involved.
You might add that those methods are good for Wyoming Big Sage (Artemisia Tridentata). It is usually poor at sprouting back after mechanical or chemical control. Other common species like Silver Sage and Fringed sage will sprout right back though. All three are common in the west and rabbit brush (often mistaken for sage species) will sprout right back.
You might add that those methods are good for Wyoming Big Sage (Artemisia Tridentata). It is usually poor at sprouting back after mechanical or chemical control. Other common species like Silver Sage and Fringed sage will sprout right back though. All three are common in the west and rabbit brush (often mistaken for sage species) will sprout right back.
