Mesquite Roots

[BK9954]

Anyone know if the dead roots of mesquite soften over time and deteriorate, so they could could be worked with a tractor. Or no matter what are they still going to need to be plowed up with a dozer. Killing off mesquite with poison and a chainsaw but wondering if it is a waste of time, if it is going to take a bulldozer with a root plow to get the ground plantable anyways, it would just make sense to do it all at once. Correct? A dozer is not in the budget right now but why waste $100's on remedy if not needed.

 

[Brute 23]

Spraying the mesquite you may or may not need the root plow. That will be your call on if it is to hard on your disk or plow.

Root plowing will guarantee you will still have to spray.

What size are the mesquites? If they are decent size you may see about hiring some one with a skid steer and a sheer. With decent moisture they can pluck the majority of the mesquites and stack them for you at a very reasonable cost. I had a guy do some huisatche for me and he left maybe 1 stump per 5 acres. The rest he plucked root and all.

I still spray annually no matter what. The good thing is mesquite is easy to kill. The bad thing is the seed bed is good for like 15 years.

 

[greybeard]

Brute..does the state have a cost share program or brush abatement payment for mesquite eradication? I know they were talking about one in the Concho River valley when I lived in Tom Green County.

 

[BK9954]

Brute..does the state have a cost share program or brush abatement payment for mesquite eradication? I know they were talking about one in the Concho River valley when I lived in Tom Green County.

It does if you plant hay afterwords, it still runs more then just running a tractor or dozer to clear them out.

 

[bird dog]

If the dead trees are 3" or smaller, I would let them stand until they break off. If you have to use a chainsaw, they aren't dead enough yet. I have never tried to plow a mesquite field but I have ran a disc over one without much problems. T
Mesquite trees are legumes so the ground underneath and around them can be pretty fertile so why don't you just see what grasses return after the trees are dead. IMO it is always better to improve whats there than to start over.

 

[callmefence]

What birddog said.
Seems like they fall apart pretty quick after being killed. I haven't tried to work any ground after clearing mesquite. With cedar it seems to take about 5 years before the stumps will roll out without breaking chisels. Until then I just drag a disc across them.

Brute is right in no matter what your still gonna have to spray. If their small (smooth bark) look into sendero. Also in my opinion it's still a couple months early to be spraying mesquite.

 

[BK9954]

If the dead trees are 3" or smaller, I would let them stand until they break off. If you have to use a chainsaw, they aren't dead enough yet. I have never tried to plow a mesquite field but I have ran a disc over one without much problems. T
Mesquite trees are legumes so the ground underneath and around them can be pretty fertile so why don't you just see what grasses return after the trees are dead. IMO it is always better to improve whats there than to start over.

Yea there is already native grass growing all around the mesquites. The cows wont touch it until its the last stuff left. This is a picture of what I have. Some has been cleared. My future plans are disking and planting hay, just not now. But if I am going ti have to plow the roots later is the concern. Would disking later work? Meaning 2 years, 3 years from now.

 

[bird dog]

It looks to me like you have the grass already there even though it is of the native variety. I really see know reason why you would have to plow or disc. I would just start killing the trees. That alone will take you a few years. The cows will do fine on the pasture as you work on it. If it is a real large pasture, you might consider aerial spraying the foliage. This will kill the majority of the trees and then you can come back next year (or later this year) and treat the ones that didn't completely die.
After a couple years of this, a dozer will make quick work piling up the skeletons. The roots will still be there but they will be brittle and mostly under the soil. I would plant right into them if you want to try to get another grass established.
Once the trees are dead there will be a lot more moisture for the grasses and you will be surprised how well it will do without any inputs besides a good herbicide.

 

[BK9954]

It looks to me like you have the grass already there even though it is of the native variety. I really see know reason why you would have to plow or disc. I would just start killing the trees. That alone will take you a few years. The cows will do fine on the pasture as you work on it. If it is a real large pasture, you might consider aerial spraying the foliage. This will kill the majority of the trees and then you can come back next year (or later this year) and treat the ones that didn't completely die.
After a couple years of this, a dozer will make quick work piling up the skeletons. The roots will still be there but they will be brittle and mostly under the soil. I would plant right into them if you want to try to get another grass established.
Once the trees are dead there will be a lot more moisture for the grasses and you will be surprised how well it will do without any inputs besides a good herbicide.

I have one of those big 50 gallon electric pump ATV sprayers I havent even taken out of the box yet. I think its 50 gallon. Got it from Northern Tool. Cost me about $300. Thats just a lot $$$$$ of remedy to put in there. Probably lock the cattle out if the pasture if I used that thing.

 

[BK9954]

Its mostly rescuegrass, they seem to do okay on it.

http://stephenville.tamu.edu/topics/for ... scuegrass/

 

[Sniper338]

We took chainsaws and sendero in last year. Cut down all the mosquites and sprayed stumps with sendero right after they got cut. Cant wait real long or it will dry over.

Got a really good kill. Took about 10 months to a year for the stumps to rot, they popped out easy last month with a plow.

This year we just have smaller and way less mosquires to spray again. But cant do it till its hot again.

If you dont cut the mosquites, then you gotta spray the leaves with sendero. If you kill all the leaves they cant photosythesis. Thus kills the tree

 

[BK9954]

Last year I used the recipe with remedy and vegetable oil on the leaves. Worked pretty good.

 

[Brute 23]

After seeing the pics and knowing that you want to plant hay at some point I would see if you can find a dozer that will root plow it. They don't need to blade it off first, just take off root plowing right thru it. It will take a decent size dozer. Have them stock it and burn it when they are done. Be prepared to disk it or have them disk it because that root plow will roll some dirt.

Spray it every year for the rest of your life after that with a boom sprayer. There will be a million little bushes pop up but they are easy to kill.

 

[bird dog]

" I think its 50 gallon." Probably a 25 gallon sprayer. I wouldn't use remedy and diesel in it. If you do, don't mix very much. A few gallons goes a long way. I use a two gallon sprayer that cost about $12. Throw it away when it starts leaking and gets nasty. Diesel doesn't go well in a sprayer that isn't built for it.

 

[wacocowboy]

I have plowed an old mesquite field it is ruff the first few times but if your tractor and plow are big enough no problem.

 

[greybeard]

I have one of those big 50 gallon electric pump ATV sprayers I havent even taken out of the box yet. I think its 50 gallon. Got it from Northern Tool. Cost me about $300. Thats just a lot $$$$$ of remedy to put in there. Probably lock the cattle out if the pasture if I used that thing.

If you think Remedy is expensive, you might have sticker shock when you start buying Sendero for foliar application...I don't have any real experience with Sendero on mesquite, but it killed the crap out of the cedar I sprayed it on last year.

 

[Brute 23]

You can kill mesquite all day long with Grazon Next. The new growth that pops up will not require much. You can kill them with straight diesel.