Dock sprays

[Matt]

We used pinnical on some docks. Did them about a month ago. They have disappeared in a 2 year old ley and on some older grassland where the docks were well established it has seemed to work.

Clover safe too

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Not sure what your aminopyralid sprays called in the UK? Is it Forefront?
Seems to get into the established-root-variety docks better than some do.

Or good old 2,4D

 

[som farmer]

after wet year last year, we missed out on spraying, we did use the aerator a lot, brill machine, but it looks like it allowed new docks to germinate through the slots. used pas & tor this spring, looks impressive. can any one tell me how a substantial amount of spray killed docks will affect our 1st cut silage? cutting today, good leafy grass, but with desiccated docks!

 

[Bury the Trash]

Not sure what your aminopyralid sprays called in the UK? Is it Forefront?
Seems to get into the established-root-variety docks better than some do.

Or good old 2,4D

Yes Forefront and Pharoh had that in ...we used top use it to clean pony paddocks.... excellent stuff trouble is it tends to hang around in whats cut and removed .. got to the stage where we had to sign to say we werent gonna do any type of conservation on the feilds that it was used ...

Forefront has Triclopyr in it ...which enhances the systemic action...

it dont work so well if their too big tho ...

 

[ollie989898]

after wet year last year, we missed out on spraying, we did use the aerator a lot, brill machine, but it looks like it allowed new docks to germinate through the slots. used pas & tor this spring, looks impressive. can any one tell me how a substantial amount of spray killed docks will affect our 1st cut silage? cutting today, good leafy grass, but with desiccated docks!

Dear oh dear I could have saved you money, stop buying PasTor from MVF and get decent advice!

 

[Martyn]

We have used hudson with good success fairly cheep stuff

 

[Chae1]

Yes Forefront and Pharoh had that in ...we used top use it to clean pony paddocks.... excellent stuff trouble is it tends to hang around in whats cut and removed .. got to the stage where we had to sign to say we werent gonna do any type of conservation on the feilds that it was used ...

Forefront has Triclopyr in it ...which enhances the systemic action...

it dont work so well if their too big tho ...

Was pricing dock control for a customer. Forefront £25/acre, 2 litres/ha of fluoxypr £9.

 

[milkloss]

after wet year last year, we missed out on spraying, we did use the aerator a lot, brill machine, but it looks like it allowed new docks to germinate through the slots. used pas & tor this spring, looks impressive. can any one tell me how a substantial amount of spray killed docks will affect our 1st cut silage? cutting today, good leafy grass, but with desiccated docks!

Been there. As said, you used quite an expensive though effective chemical.

Most of them will break up as you pick the grass but won’t do silage any harm from my experience.

 

[som farmer]

Dear oh dear I could have saved you money, stop buying PasTor from MVF and get decent advice!

actually bought cheap, country wide liquidation job lot. but for the future, any advice on type/costs very welcome. I can win prizes for growing docks!

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I know this one has been done and done but we seem to have a monumental dock crop in a few fields this year.

Last year we sprayed a couple of fields with 1.5l / ha of hatchet extra ( 200g/l fluroxypyr) and it did a reasonable job

Are there any other generic products that achieve a good kill or is it worth the much higher cost to use dockstar ( 150g/l fluroxypyr plus 150g/l tryclopyr.

Thanks.

I have a massive Dock problem this year, whats the best product atm

 

[Derrick Hughes]

MCPA alone is not great on docks; It would be the last thing I would use if Im honest. Use fluroxpyr which is just as cheap but far far better.

Dicamba is hot on them, if you could get Dicamba, MCPA and fluroxypyr in mix it would be great on docks, ok on thistles and ok on buttercup.


The trick is dont spray a dock that has grown up in the air and they want to be unfolded like a load of rhubarb and about the size of a sheet of A4. No bigger and no smaller.

All of the chemicals on this thread require warm weather and good growing conditions not 3 degrees at night. Believe me I have many acres of dock control look unimpressive because it was done too early.

If you really must spray early in the year in cool conditions you need to pay your money for Dow product like doxstar. There is no cheap option.

So what do you recommend, should be ideal for spraying now , will Fluroxypyr be any good on its own

 

[milkloss]

Forefront without a doubt but should only be used on grazing. Should, just don’t sell the yard dung and you’ll be fine.
Next up is doxstar but it’s not cheap, you can make an equivalent mix a bit cheaper if you look about in here.

Nothing will preserve clover that is any good.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Forefront without a doubt but should only be used on grazing. Should, just don’t sell the yard dung and you’ll be fine.
Next up is doxstar but it’s not cheap, you can make an equivalent mix a bit cheaper if you look about in here.

Nothing will preserve clover that is any good.

Fluroxypyr , will it be any use on it's own

 

[Chuckie]

Fluroxypyr , will it be any use on it's own

It's gone very dear this year

 

[Derrick Hughes]

It's gone very dear this year

It's kind to the grass .does not Dockstar hit the grass hard

 

[milkloss]

Fluroxypyr , will it be any use on it's own

It will lay them out pretty quick but won’t always kill them. I had a field last year got just straight fluroxypyr, it was a hell of a crop of docks. They’re back this year but still small and red leaved so will get the same treatment as soon as they green up and I’m confident they won’t survive a second go.

Had a quote for hurler (200g/l fluroxypyr) £65 for five litres which works out £26/ha. Doxstar pro is approx £50 a ha recently, mcpa at £14 but you’ll probably double that to put 24d with it and make it more effective. forefront approx £78 a ha at last years prices.

I have done mcpa and half rate 24d in the past and did a good job but it’s all about timing and a little luck.

 

[milkloss]

It's kind to the grass .does not Dockstar hit the grass hard

No, mcpa far harder.

 

[ollie989898]

It's kind to the grass .does not Dockstar hit the grass hard

All the Dow products are quite kind to the grass, doxstar contains fluroxypyr.

Flurox will be cheap and cheerful, use at maximum rate with an adjuvant and plenty of water with good steady spraying. If it is a bad infestation you will need to go again anyway.

Leave the docks well alone for at least 2 weeks after spraying.

It can be mixed with Polo, MCPA or 2,4D etc freely.

 

[milkloss]

It can be mixed with Polo, MCPA or 2,4D etc freely.

Do they make it more effective? Fluroxypyr does most grassland weeds anyway I thought.

 

[ollie989898]

Do they make it more effective? Fluroxypyr does most grassland weeds anyway I thought.

Debatable I would say, it will broaden the spectrum of activity though. Fluroxypr only works on a narrow range of weeds, it is a very weird chemical. Docks, cleavers, chickweed, tries on mayweed, tries on nightshade. Check what label weeds are mentioned, it won't be many. Think it does dandelion, too.

Lots of people get confused about what chemical does what becausea lot of them are quite harsh on plants or some some activity. I bet if you sprayed plain fungicide on a stinging nettle on a hot day in June it would wilt and look pretty upset for a time. Lots of the herbicides are the same. They make them wilt or look a bit fudged but in reality they don't die.

For docks what you really want is some fluoxypyr and dicamba in mixture (For example, Thrust + something like Hatchet or Starane). Of course the old cimarron is gone now but that used to work very very well if the weather was good and you mixed it with a phenoxy partner. Lots of it used to get mixed with di-farmon when it was still legal to use.

It is because there is no golden bullet chemical that Dow and the other companies tend to create mixed formulations that contain things like clopyralid, fluroxypyr and tricolpyr in tandem as in the old pastor. Of course they are rather more expensive.

If you have a real mess of thistles, nettles and docks, pastor at 2L/ha with adjuvant is really the default option.