Herbicide effectiveness question

[Ruark]

Before getting out into my pasture with a bigger sprayer, I sprayed some areas with a 3-gallon sprayer to see how well this herbicide worked. What I used was:

In 3 gallons of water:
- 2 oz. "Amine 400" 2,4-d herbicide
- 3 oz. "Top Surf" surfactant

These are the maximum doses of both.

Entire plant was sprayed. You can really see the surfactant working.

I've sprayed a couple kinds of spider milkweed, some horseweed, dollar weed (I think) and a couple of others. One is a lettuce-like weed - leaves about 2" wide and 8" long curling up from the center, covered with fine green fuzz. It killed most of the weeds. It is murder on thistle. But it looks like some of the milkweed isn't dying out. It started out 3 weeks ago sort of getting limp a couple days after spraying, and the leaves started curling and twisting up. Some of it was sprayed twice, the 2nd time being a week ago. Now, a month later, at least half the spider milkweed I've sprayed still has a lot of green leaves, some of them sticking up and healthy-looking, even though the inner part of the plant is brown and dried up. A lot of it, though, looks like it's going to come back. In any case, it's taking bloody FOREVER to die.

One factor might be the drought conditions - I understand they're supposed to be healthy and actively growing in order for the herbicide to work. Could that be a factor? Or does this stuff just not work very well?

 

[upfrombottom]

One is a lettuce-like weed - leaves about 2" wide and 8" long curling up from the center, covered with fine green fuzz.

Possibly Lambs Tongue

 

[dun]

Conditions can make a big difference. I sprayd a 27 acre pasture 1 year, sprayed half of it in the early morning and the other half that afternoon. The stuff I sprayed in the morning died, the other stuff got more or less sickly and some did die but not very much of it.

 

[Ruark]

Possibly Lambs Tongue

Yep, that's it. Seems like they're dying pretty well, but one is coming back - and it was sprayed twice.

 

[b2b ranch]

Your drought and not growing is a big factor. 2-4-D basically makes a plant grow itself to death. So if it does not have conditions to promote growth it has time to get a second wind and come back.

 

[msscamp]

2-4D will not kill most milkweed plants. They require round-up.

 

[Ruark]

2-4D will not kill most milkweed plants. They require round-up.

You nailed it. A little research supports this. You need to combine 2,4-d with picloram or glyphosate.

 

[1982vett]

2-4D will not kill most milkweed plants. They require round-up.

You nailed it. A little research supports this. You need to combine 2,4-d with picloram or glyphosate.

Playing with fire recommending spraying pasture with this without being very specific on how to use it....ie - the scorched earth herbicide... ;-)

 

[msscamp]

2-4D will not kill most milkweed plants. They require round-up.

You nailed it. A little research supports this. You need to combine 2,4-d with picloram or glyphosate.

No, you don't need to combine anything with 2-4D to kill most milkweed plants. 2 oz's of glyphosate mixed in a gallon of water (adjust as needed according to the equipment you are using) will kill most milkweed plants all by itself - it doesn't need any back-up. 2-4D is useless, so why waste the product? Picloram is is useless, so why waste the product? Additionally, please be careful how you are recommending using Picloram (Banvil) because it will vaporize and drift above about 80 degrees F, and will kill a number of different things quite a long distance from the spray site. Not exactly a good way to make friends or influence the neighbors. ;-)

 

[msscamp]

My apologies to the board - I got my ingredients screwed up. As most of you know, Banvil is Dicambia - not Picloram. Not sure what I was thinking, but it was obviously wrong and I apologize.