??? Cleaning up a pasture

[bigten]

Not sure what to do so thought I'd ask some of our knowledgeable members here...
I have a ~7 or so acre pasture that has become inundated with volunteer gum trees. (Pines to an extent, but they're no problem). I have nothing grazing the property currently and mow it a time or two a year. It seems those dang gums grow back quicker than the grass. Is there anything I can spray it with to kill the trees without killing the grass? I could plow to roll up the roots, but that would require several rounds of plowing, would damage the grass, and I feel would actually open it up for more undesired growth. What would be my best option to eliminate the unwanted stuff? Thanks

 

[nccatfisher]

If you catch them quick enough while they are small 2-4D will get them, and won't touch your grass.

 

[Bean]

Spray it with Crossbow herbicide. That’s going to kill your clovers and such but won’t harm your grasses. It’s a woody and broadleaf killer. It has 2-4d as nccatfisher stated and has triclopyr in it also

 

[bigten]

No clover to worry about. When would be best time to spray? Would it be best to spray with leaves on? Would spraying after mowing work? The mess gets 4 feet or so tall between mowing, but comes right back, as would be expected with hardwoods. Any pine that sprouts is killed when cut. This wasn't an issue when we had cattle on it in rotation with other fields but has gotten pretty bad the last 3 or so years.

 

[DarrinG]

2-4-D, wear a mask when spraying. Spray in the spring. It wont harm the grasses but will knock out the woody and weeds. Good stuff if used correctly.

 

[nccatfisher]

No clover to worry about. When would be best time to spray? Would it be best to spray with leaves on? Would spraying after mowing work? The mess gets 4 feet or so tall between mowing, but comes right back, as would be expected with hardwoods. Any pine that sprouts is killed when cut. This wasn't an issue when we had cattle on it in rotation with other fields but has gotten pretty bad the last 3 or so years.

Anything you spray basically needs to be sprayed with full foliage. That is how they uptake the chemical is through the foliage. Also the best time is when they are actively growing. When they first come out and are tender is the absolute best time.

 

[bigten]

Thanks. I know I've had success killing stumps with herbicide immediately after cutting the trees and wondered if that would work in this case. I guess the possibility of missing a large part of them after cutting would dictate spraying as recommended. I'll take care of it when growth starts back.. Again, thanks guys.

 

[bwfarms]

Crossbow is some good stuff, I sprayed a field full of blackberry briars and it has stayed clear of it for the last 4 years.

Remedy Ultra is a great brushy/wood herbicide that will kill some broadleafs. If you want to tap a better spectrum of broadleaf weeds, GrazonNext HL is a compatible tank mix. Advantage of Remedy over Crossbow is the price per unit with triclopyr. Combining Remedy Ultra and GrazonNext HL is essentially like Crossbow but allows you to tweak rate ratios and provide cost benefits.

Best results are during the growing season when plants are young and leafy. Mowing and then spraying is not very cost productive. Spraying and shortly following with mowing may not allow the roots to die. I wait to mow several weeks after when everything is crispy. Your application rate will vary depending on diameter.

 

[Rescue44]

Are you in an area that farmers grow cotton?

 

[bigten]

Are you in an area that farmers grow cotton?

We do have some in the county, but not close by.

 

[Rescue44]

2-4d has the potential to be rough on cotton is why I asked. If your pasture is treated with a 2-4d product before a nearby field is planted in cotton no problem. In some conditions, 2-4d has the potential to drift a ways. The drifting is the problem.

 

[GSOHunter]

My goats love gum trees. I left some of the bigger stumps when I cleared their pasture. They leave up every few weeks and the goats eat them.

I don't miss those trees. Nothing worse then walking around barefoot in the yard and stepping on one of those darn things.

 

[Wildlifer]

Garlon 4 ultra is a basal herbicide and can be used year round, will not harm grasses. The only catch is that it would be a little more labor intensive as each stem would need a direct application.

 

[curdog]

Garlon 4 ultra is a basal herbicide and can be used year round, will not harm grasses. The only catch is that it would be a little more labor intensive as each stem would need a direct application.

This is true, but I would be hesitant on some of the oils used for basal bark spraying and how they may affect grasses. If diesel or kerosene is used as the carrier, it may harm grasses.

 

[DBCooper]

Just a thought. You’ve gotten great advice so far.

I sometimes add ammonium sulfate to mixtures, if I spray when the plant is not in optimal growth phase (which like others have said is when you want to apply).

This will trick the plant to uptake.

Good luck.

Mixture is 17%. Close enough to a pint/gal to me.

 

[bigten]

Garlon 4 ultra is a basal herbicide and can be used year round, will not harm grasses. The only catch is that it would be a little more labor intensive as each stem would need a direct application.

Yea, that wouldn't work. I wouldn't be afraid to estimate 10k plus volunteers on the field. Mowed it about two months or so ago and they're all in the 15-20" height range now.

 

[JONOV]

Is there any reason you couldn't either lease it or put some goats in it yourself?

 

[bigten]

I'm not really wanting to lease it at the time, and I don't have time to deal with any livestock right now. Plus, wrong fencing for goats...