Let's talk about rope/wick applicators

[Bigfoot]

Daddy had one, when I was little boy. All I remember about it, was he claimed it was junk. I would like to make a stab at wicking some broomsedge. It may not work on broom sedge, but I'd like to give it a try. 1. Can you kill broomsedg with a wick? 2. Do wicks work, and if they do, is one any better than the others?

 

[skyhightree1]

I hate them I'd rather use a 4 wheeler and spot spray. I built one 70 bucks pos.. I use lime to kill broomsedge

 

[wbvs58]

I had good success with controlling what I call pinrush (Juncas spp) It is a clumping rush that can get thick and tall. In spring I slashed the paddocks (bush hog) and then waited for the new green shoots from the rushes which quickly grew above the other grasses and they were a prime candidate for the wick wiper. They can be messy frustrating things though trying to get the correct amount flowing through the wicks, usually too much but in spite of that it worked well with no noticeable effect on other grasses.

Ken

 

[callmefence]

I never used one. And I've never heard anyone say very much good about em

 

[Ky cowboy]

We have one we mount to front end loader works great for Johnson grass have to be sure to drive slow enough for the chemical to properly transfer to targeted weeds. We go north South them East to west if its real thick. I think ours was 12ft now it 10ft (got to close to a tree)

 

[M-5]

as with anything there are applications where they work well. The best use of one IMO is on a FEL where you can adjust height to make sure it is wiping the plant. One Large farmer here keeps pigweed out of his pnuts using this method and its very sucessuful. I personally have not used one. A few weeds here and there do not bother me. and if broom sage is an issue cut it back so it gets new growth and the cows will eat it.

 

[ClinchValley]

Will cutting it repeatedly finally wear it down? Or not so much? We have it thick in places where lime or NPK either one are hard to apply. Broadcasted some by hand to see if it helps. Sure it will.

I mowed it back once, but it came right back. Not sure if it is less than before. All I know is it hurts my eyes!

Would wicking it not produce the same outcome as it going dormant/dying out in Late Fall/Winter? One would have to let it grow taller than the rest of the grass. Which would put it close to the end of it's cycle?

I hate this stuff!

BigFoot - You tried amending soil at all to combat this stuff? If so, any results?

 

[Bigfoot]

Will cutting it repeatedly finally wear it down? Or not so much? We have it thick in places where lime or NPK either one are hard to apply. Broadcasted some by hand to see if it helps. Sure it will.

I mowed it back once, but it came right back. Not sure if it is less than before. All I know is it hurts my eyes!

Would wicking it not produce the same outcome as it going dormant/dying out in Late Fall/Winter? One would have to let it grow taller than the rest of the grass. Which would put it close to the end of it's cycle?

I hate this stuff!

BigFoot - You tried amending soil at all to combat this stuff? If so, any results?

Yes. This field was in accessible for years. I dropped a few coins this spring, and made it where you can get in with a spreader. It's not going to thin out from one year of lime. I hear it needs to be killed. Either throu cultivation, or herbecide. It's considerably taller than the fescue. I believe the right wick would work.

Like fenceman, I've heard bad things. Wish somebody would step forward with a name brand of one that works.

 

[greybeard]

Wish somebody would step forward with a name brand of one that works.

The fact that no one has, may be a telling sign.....I think maybe it is dun that has used one tho.

 

[Bigfoot]

Wish somebody would step forward with a name brand of one that works.

The fact that no one has, may be a telling sign.....I think maybe it is dun that has used one tho.

I believe your right.

 

[Ky cowboy]

Ours is just a homemade rope wick. Like I said on fel, and it works great. I did price a new one from agr-supply, it was reasonable, under $150 I think for I believe 8 ft wick i plan on making another one this year maybe a 15 foot like a batwing bushhog

 

[wbvs58]

I could give you the name of mine but it would mean nothing to you, it is a Selecta brand. Basically it is 2 parallel PVC pipes mounted on a frame that is drawn by the tractor linkage, a 20 litre container sits above it and gravity feeds the 2 to 1 mix of glyphosate, there are numerous rope wicks that cross diagonally between the 2 pipes, they sag down a bit.

It works well but I would only get it out for a big job, takes a bit to set it up and quite a bit to clean it up afterwards. Occaisionally I would snag a rope and pull it out of the pipe so you gotta be watching all the time otherwise your drum of glyphosate is gone. It did the job with the problem I had at the time.

Ken

 

[Bigfoot]

I could give you the name of mine but it would mean nothing to you, it is a Selecta brand. Basically it is 2 parallel PVC pipes mounted on a frame that is drawn by the tractor linkage, a 20 litre container sits above it and gravity feeds the 2 to 1 mix of glyphosate, there are numerous rope wicks that cross diagonally between the 2 pipes, they sag down a bit.

It works well but I would only get it out for a big job, takes a bit to set it up and quite a bit to clean it up afterwards. Occaisionally I would snag a rope and pull it out of the pipe so you gotta be watching all the time otherwise your drum of glyphosate is gone. It did the job with the problem I had at the time.

Ken

That description sounds like it would work. I have been turned on to a cuticle penetrating surfactant, that believe if I could any glyphosate at all on a plant, it would die.

 

[JMJ Farms]

I don't have one but I researched them a while back bc I was interested in building/buying one. Found one that rotates constantly from power supplies by a small electric motor. It didn't have ropes. Only a padded roller. The constant slow rotation is supposed to eliminate drips. I will see if I can find a link. Looked very promising but I didn't buy one.

 

[JMJ Farms]

http://grassworksmanufacturing.com

 

[kenny thomas]

I built one 2 winters ago. 11 ft wide and holds maybe 4 gallon of roundup. It cost about $190 including the parts it took to attach it to a FEL. A friend borrowed it as soon as it was time to use it and I haven't seen it since. He says it works good.

 

[Bigfoot]

http://grassworksmanufacturing.com

Thanks, I will check them out.

 

[Bigfoot]

I built one 2 winters ago. 11 ft wide and holds maybe 4 gallon of roundup. It cost about $190 including the parts it took to attach it to a FEL. A friend borrowed it as soon as it was time to use it and I haven't seen it since. He says it works good.

I loaned a guy a boat one time. He kept it so long, his wife got it in the divorce.

 

[kenny thomas]

I built one 2 winters ago. 11 ft wide and holds maybe 4 gallon of roundup. It cost about $190 including the parts it took to attach it to a FEL. A friend borrowed it as soon as it was time to use it and I haven't seen it since. He says it works good.

I loaned a guy a boat one time. He kept it so long, his wife got it in the divorce.

Now that's about my luck. I have loaned things and they were gone so long I forgot I owned them and ask to buy them back.

 

[Bigfoot]

I built one 2 winters ago. 11 ft wide and holds maybe 4 gallon of roundup. It cost about $190 including the parts it took to attach it to a FEL. A friend borrowed it as soon as it was time to use it and I haven't seen it since. He says it works good.

I loaned a guy a boat one time. He kept it so long, his wife got it in the divorce.

Now that's about my luck. I have loaned things and they were gone so long I forgot I owned them and ask to buy them back.

A neighbor borrowed my hay spear (not to move hay with, but I don't know what for). Broke the spear off, and brought it back, and got another one. Kept it so long, his kids lined it up at his estate sale. I bid on it for a while, but the thing brought good money. I had to just let it go.