Thistles in my clover???? |
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By:
Show-Me Greg
Date:19-Mar-17
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Had 2 clover plots drilled in March 2016. West central Missouri. One is 4 acres and one is 6 acres.
Clover actually looking good this year in Feb, BUT...
Just got word that the "thistle" are taking over. Was told that there are 100's of them. All about 9-12" in diameter and 2" tall.
Thinking about trying to spot spray them. Using 41% glyphosate at a 2% mixture, with a wetting agent. Plan is to wait 10 days and hit it again, spraying what I might have missed..
Thoughts????
By:
BOHUNTER09
Date:19-Mar-17
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that might be the best approach. I have controlled small infestations that way.
By:
BUCKeye
Date:19-Mar-17
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Despite my best efforts to limit the mist cloud, I end up killing a 12" diameter each time I spot spray.
By:
gobbler
Date:19-Mar-17
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If it's regular thistle it's not easy but you can get rid of it. If it's Canadian thistle good luck.
By:
Screwball
Date:19-Mar-17
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Was it always in this plot or What percent of noxious weeds was in your mix you planted. Should be listed on the bag.
By:
Mark Watkins
Date:19-Mar-17
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I would definitely mow it first....my experience has been that will control 90% of thistle and broad leafs.
Mark
By:
drycreek
Date:19-Mar-17
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Y'all ever hear of a weed wiper ? Google it ! I have one I adapted to my golf cart. It's a simple pvc boom covered in canvas. You mix your gly pretty stout and wipe the weeds with the wet canvas and the weeds die. I use it to kill behia grass after it gets tall enough that I don't kill my bermuda. The behia specific herbicide is expensive ! Gly is cheap ! I usually wipe them one direction and then turn around and go over them the opposite way. They come in all sizes, I even have one that's about the size of a hockey stick. I use that around the house for problem weeds. Might work for you.
By:
Ben
Date:19-Mar-17
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If I was going to spot spray I would use 2-4-d. Get em now before they get any bigger. Rosetta stage is best
By:
IdyllwildArcher
Date:19-Mar-17
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Sounds like a job for a pair of gloves.
By:
t-roy
Date:19-Mar-17
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2,4-D will kill your clover too. 2,4-DB (Butyrac) won't kill your clover. Not sure how effective it is on thistle, though.
By:
LKH
Date:19-Mar-17
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Your description sounds like bull thistle. Does it form a dense circular mat completely covering the ground? If so, 2016 was it's first year and it will form a tall stalk and seed heads this year.
Use the gly, but keep the pressure in your backpack so low that you just dribble on to it.
You can also take a small spade (about 4" across) and cut down below the surface to kill it.
I'm over by Moore, and thistle is just a way of life. Canadian is terrible on my wet grounds.
By:
Junior
Date:20-Mar-17
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If it headed out the best approach is to bag it one by one. If you mow it after its headed, its "omg wtf have I done"..lol. Sounds like you caught it early, so spot spray, burn, or spade may be best option.
By:
Show-Me Greg
Date:20-Mar-17
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Thanks for the replys.
It has NOT got a head on it yet. just plate size and short.
NEVER had a thistle in the plot before. First year they have showed up.
Bought a 25 gallon ATV sprayer. Going to experiment with water to get the spray pattern down first, then heading to the food plots.
Date:20-Mar-17
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Whatever you do MOW IT before it heads out. It is a nightmare, and if you get it established, plow down and plant a Roundup ready summer annual for a couple years to kill it out. IN 1963 we had a tornado destroy our famr and most of our livestock. We bought a bunch of shorthorn cows that had thistle burrs in their hair. The farm has had thistle covered pastures ever since
By:
South Farm
Date:20-Mar-17
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I'd ignore it. The deer will eat around it and the finches will love ya!
By:
LKH
Date:20-Mar-17
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Go to your farm supply and buy a quality surfactant instead of the Dawn. It's not expensive and will help a lot.
I have a couple back pack 3 gallon sprayers. About $100 and a 40 gallon tow sprayer. For what you are doing, spot spraying, the backpack is far more efficient and easier to use.
Buy a pint of red dye from the farm supply. Expensive but worth it. I will allow you to wander around and know if you have sprayed there.