Do you remember that pasture that was covered by yellow flowers last spring, Buttercup? How about that pasture that had curly dock or red sorrel and your extension educator told you to wait until next fall or the following spring to spray? Did you have a pasture that was covered with thistles last spring and it went to seed? If so, it’s time for you to think about loading up the spray rig and taking care of the problem.
We have been blessed with some good rains this fall and if you go out and check, many of the plants we will consider as weeds next spring will already have germinated, or if they are cool season biennials or perennials, they have already started growing out of the ground. Fall or early spring is the best time to control cool season annuls. When the plants become more mature in late spring, they become more difficult to control and more costly.
Buttercups are easily recognized in early spring by their bright yellow flowers. They tend to emerge in the fall and overwinter as low growing plants that send up stems and flower in late spring. They are extremely difficult to control when they are in the flowering stage and producers who have observed them growing in their Growth Spurts fields this past spring should consider a late fall herbicide application or a February or March herbicide application. These plants are a lot easier to control during these time periods. Herbicide applications that work well on buttercups include; fall applications of Grazon P+D, Cimarron max, or Cimarron (only use the Cimarron products on pastures you do not expect grazing of ryegrass on, since these products may control the ryegrass seedlings).
Red sorrel, smooth dock and curly dock are three cool season plants that are in the same family and are collectively called sour dock by producers in southeast Oklahoma. These plants tend to be problems in moist pasture situations and are extremely difficult to control when they send up their stems in the spring. They tend to go unnoticed until seed head formation begins. But by then, it is usually too late for chemical control. The best times to spray these plants are in October or November on a day when daytime temperatures are expected to be above 60 degrees. Herbicides that work well during these two time periods include; 2,4-D, 2,4-D + Dicamba, Grazon P+D, and Cimarron Max.
Thistles are also a cool season weed that can become problematic in spring pastures. There are several species of cool season thistles that inhabit Oklahoma pasture with two of the worst being musk thistle and scotch thistle. These two thistles are considered noxious weeds and should be controlled when identified growing in a pasture. Most of the thistles that grow in Oklahoma pastures will emerge in the fall and overwinter in the rosette stage until late spring when they send up a stalk and initiate flower and seed production. These weeds are easy to control prior to the formation of these stalks but become harder to control the closer they get to flowering. Herbicides that work well on thistles when they are in the rosette stage include 2,4-D, Grazon P+D, Cimarron Max, and 2,4-D + Dicamba. The best times to spray these plants are in October and November, on a day when daytime temperatures are expected to be above 60 degrees.
Cool season broadleaf weeds by their nature all tend to be easier to control when they are young and prior to their seed head development. It is easy for these weeds to go unnoticed during the winter and spring only to become a problem in late spring when they send up their reproductive stems and flowers. Producers who have had problems with these weeds in their pastures in the past should consider checking pastures for these winter weeds in October and Early November. If large populations are observed, plans should be made to spray these weeds in November or March when the plants are easy to kill.
If you have questions concerning this topic or related topics, please contact the OSU Extension Center at 273-7683, stop by the office, or visit our Web site: http://countyext.okstate.edu/pottawatomie/.
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Do you remember that pasture that was covered by yellow flowers last spring, Buttercup? How about that pasture that had curly dock or red sorrel and your extension educator told you to wait until next fall or the following spring to spray? Did you have a pasture that was covered with thistles last spring and it went to seed? If so, it’s time for you to think about loading up the spray rig and taking care of the problem.
We have been blessed with some good rains this fall and if you go out and check, many of the plants we will consider as weeds next spring will already have germinated, or if they are cool season biennials or perennials, they have already started growing out of the ground. Fall or early spring is the best time to control cool season annuls. When the plants become more mature in late spring, they become more difficult to control and more costly.
Buttercups are easily recognized in early spring by their bright yellow flowers. They tend to emerge in the fall and overwinter as low growing plants that send up stems and flower in late spring. They are extremely difficult to control when they are in the flowering stage and producers who have observed them growing in their Growth Spurts fields this past spring should consider a late fall herbicide application or a February or March herbicide application. These plants are a lot easier to control during these time periods. Herbicide applications that work well on buttercups include; fall applications of Grazon P+D, Cimarron max, or Cimarron (only use the Cimarron products on pastures you do not expect grazing of ryegrass on, since these products may control the ryegrass seedlings).
Red sorrel, smooth dock and curly dock are three cool season plants that are in the same family and are collectively called sour dock by producers in southeast Oklahoma. These plants tend to be problems in moist pasture situations and are extremely difficult to control when they send up their stems in the spring. They tend to go unnoticed until seed head formation begins. But by then, it is usually too late for chemical control. The best times to spray these plants are in October or November on a day when daytime temperatures are expected to be above 60 degrees. Herbicides that work well during these two time periods include; 2,4-D, 2,4-D + Dicamba, Grazon P+D, and Cimarron Max.
Thistles are also a cool season weed that can become problematic in spring pastures. There are several species of cool season thistles that inhabit Oklahoma pasture with two of the worst being musk thistle and scotch thistle. These two thistles are considered noxious weeds and should be controlled when identified growing in a pasture. Most of the thistles that grow in Oklahoma pastures will emerge in the fall and overwinter in the rosette stage until late spring when they send up a stalk and initiate flower and seed production. These weeds are easy to control prior to the formation of these stalks but become harder to control the closer they get to flowering. Herbicides that work well on thistles when they are in the rosette stage include 2,4-D, Grazon P+D, Cimarron Max, and 2,4-D + Dicamba. The best times to spray these plants are in October and November, on a day when daytime temperatures are expected to be above 60 degrees.
Cool season broadleaf weeds by their nature all tend to be easier to control when they are young and prior to their seed head development. It is easy for these weeds to go unnoticed during the winter and spring only to become a problem in late spring when they send up their reproductive stems and flowers. Producers who have had problems with these weeds in their pastures in the past should consider checking pastures for these winter weeds in October and Early November. If large populations are observed, plans should be made to spray these weeds in November or March when the plants are easy to kill.
If you have questions concerning this topic or related topics, please contact the OSU Extension Center at 273-7683, stop by the office, or visit our Web site: http://countyext.okstate.edu/pottawatomie/.
