Pasture disaster

[kickinbull]

So, time has elapsed past prime time to mow to control cockleburr. I'm not sure that any kind of mower is a good idea. And especially bad being a rotary. I think it would help to scatter the seeds even further. What are your thoughts?

 

[Bright Raven]

I am a firm believer in mowing. It controls weeds and stimulates new growth of favorable forages. But mowing does not control cocklebur. It suckers out and produces seed. It will not get as tall, it makes it a dwarf plant but it still seeds.

 

[kenny thomas]

May be late but a good spraying will help for years.

 

[Chocolate Cow2]

Cockleburrs? Sheep are the answer (old sale barn joke). Buy sheep. Run sheep in the pasture to clean up the cockleburrs, sell sheep.

 

[Kingfisher]

What he said or mow and spray

 

[Lucky]

Cockleburs are one of the easiest weeds to kill but spread the fastest if nothing is done. I don't think mowing would hurt anything, animals will spread them as bad as a mower will. Next year spray with a good weed killer that has a residual as soon as you see them coming up. 24D works but they'll be right back. I use Grazon nxt or P+D.

 

[bird dog]

Lucky is right. Make sure your chemical has a residual. Lots of them come up late in the year if it rains after a dry spell. I have had some pop up in the last couple weeks.

 

[T & B farms]

Im a big fan of grazon next. Sprayed a patch in mid May, and it is still clean. We start planting beans around June 1, so no 24d after that. I think this grazon next might be the solution. I'm going to try mixing it with Fertalizer this spring

 

[Texasmark]

I controlled them with 24D. Been about 35 years and I forget but it was before I had my applicator's permit and I could get 24D in the quart whereas larger containers or P+D required the permit. I don't remember if I needed a follow up or not. All I remember is that they were everywhere getting in the bull calves sheaths and I shot them and they disappeared. Haven't seen any since. If I did have to followup it was probably spot spraying.

People say 24D has no residual. Well I disagree. I apply at the 1-2% when I use it and it's years between applications for regular noxious weeds. I haven't sprayed my bermuda patch for years and after the beautiful rains we had the last couple of weeks, I see it's time to get out the sprayer again.

 

[JMJ Farms]

May check into Surmount. Not sure if cocklebur is a controlled species or not. Expensive chemical but relatively safe. Grazing or 24d is more economical.

 

[Lucky]

Weeds and spraying are talked about allot on this board but I never hear about having someone come out to spray. I have a guy come out every year and spray. He keeps up with which weeds we need to target and what chemical to use. He also has insurance and is responsible for any "drifting". Most years it cost me about $10-11 an acre which isn't too bad. The main thing is that it gets done and done in a hurry. He sprays in early June and then I'm pretty much weed free the rest of the year. A few weeds come back late in the year but nothing to worry about.

 

[kenny thomas]

Weeds and spraying are talked about allot on this board but I never hear about having someone come out to spray. I have a guy come out every year and spray. He keeps up with which weeds we need to target and what chemical to use. He also has insurance and is responsible for any "drifting". Most years it cost me about $10-11 an acre which isn't too bad. The main thing is that it gets done and done in a hurry. He sprays in early June and then I'm pretty much weed free the rest of the year. A few weeds come back late in the year but nothing to worry about.

Do you chose the chemical used and is the $10-$11 include the chemical?

 

[Lucky]

Weeds and spraying are talked about allot on this board but I never hear about having someone come out to spray. I have a guy come out every year and spray. He keeps up with which weeds we need to target and what chemical to use. He also has insurance and is responsible for any "drifting". Most years it cost me about $10-11 an acre which isn't too bad. The main thing is that it gets done and done in a hurry. He sprays in early June and then I'm pretty much weed free the rest of the year. A few weeds come back late in the year but nothing to worry about.

Do you chose the chemical used and is the $10-$11 include the chemical?

We ride around and look at the pastures and what weeds are out there then he gives me some options on chemical. The application rate is $5.50 per acre plus chemical cost. If I'm having a bad year I can spray straight 24D for about $3, so $8.50 an acre. Most years he has a chemical that is on sale or he bought a bunch of that I can get a good deal on and chemical cost is around $5.00. There's just too many chemicals out there for me to keep up with. Another plus is that he comes back at his cost if it doesn't work or we get a rain too quick after application. The best deal for me though is that it gets done, they can cover about 300 acres a day if everything goes good.

 

[kenny thomas]

That's a great deal I think. Better take good care of him.

 

[Lucky]

That's a great deal I think. Better take good care of him.

I'm happy with the deal but we have 4-5 guys in the area that spray. They all have 2-3 rigs and cover allot of ground. I think they each spray 15-20,000 acres a year. I've been friends with my guy along time and he does cowboy work for me so having him spray too works out good. When we gather cows in early May we look over the pastures and talk about what would be best to spray and fertlize.

 

[kenny thomas]

That's a great deal I think. Better take good care of him.

I'm happy with the deal but we have 4-5 guys in the area that spray. They all have 2-3 rigs and cover allot of ground. I think they each spray 15-20,000 acres a year. I've been friends with my guy along time and he does cowboy work for me so having him spray too works out good. When we gather cows in early May we look over the pastures and talk about what would be best to spray and fertlize.

Things are very different here. I have never heard of anyone doing spray work other than a helicopter and it's 40 an acre plus chemical.

 

[Lucky]

I see a business opportunity for someone young and ready run!!

 

[M-5]

we have a couple of custom outfits here . They started when the old crop dusters retired . We only have a couple of dusters around now . I see a lot of the bigger farms buying these 80' to 100' boom sprayers and custom guys finding work on smaller acreage . I have not used any of them but have been tempted a time or two because of time constraints.

 

[Rafter S]

Cockleburrs? Sheep are the answer (old sale barn joke). Buy sheep. Run sheep in the pasture to clean up the cockleburrs, sell sheep.

I'd rather have cockleburrs than sheep.

 

[greybeard]

Cockleburrs? Sheep are the answer (old sale barn joke). Buy sheep. Run sheep in the pasture to clean up the cockleburrs, sell sheep.

I'd rather have cockleburrs than sheep.

X2!!!
(and I kinda like my house..................would hate to see my friends and neighbors burn it down on account of pasture maggots)