Weeds in grassland, what to do?

DrDunc

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Dunsyre
I've a field that's contains a fair few broadleaf weeds. Clover is looking well, pH and nutrients are fine, and only other issue is lack of actual grass in places. It's intended to be cut for haylage at the beginning of July

Should I spray off the broadleaves now with MCPA / 2.4D and check the clover?

Is it time to consider a full reseed?

Opinions please, I'm not wanting to just throw away fertiliser and hope!

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Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
Left it a bit late. Certainly too late to kill the dandelions. Just about get the docks if you spray before the weekend when they will certainly start going to seed and thus will not translocate herbicide to their roots. My grass was sprayed three weeks to thirty days ago and its striking how the weeds have been eliminated. Main aim were docks but chickweed and whatever those things that flower white have also been decimated. I spray as little as possible and average once every five years per field. Did a whole lot this year though as I hate the idea of weeds feeding on my wallet.
 
Left it a bit late. Certainly too late to kill the dandelions. Just about get the docks if you spray before the weekend when they will certainly start going to seed and thus will not translocate herbicide to their roots. My grass was sprayed three weeks to thirty days ago and its striking how the weeds have been eliminated. Main aim were docks but chickweed and whatever those things that flower white have also been decimated. I spray as little as possible and average once every five years per field. Did a whole lot this year though as I hate the idea of weeds feeding on my wallet.
Bloody hell it’s only just greened up out of tropics
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
Unsprayed docks here are now elongated and setting seed. I’m starting to wilt a rather pleasing silage crop tomorrow, if it doesn’t rain, otherwise Saturday for ensiling Monday.
The weedicide has effected the grass in that the sprayed area is rather laid rather than standing upright as I would expect considering the lower than traditional fertiliser application and relative lack of moisture during the last three weeks.
 

Kevtherev

Member
Location
Welshpool Powys
I've a field that's contains a fair few broadleaf weeds. Clover is looking well, pH and nutrients are fine, and only other issue is lack of actual grass in places. It's intended to be cut for haylage at the beginning of July

Should I spray off the broadleaves now with MCPA / 2.4D and check the clover?

Is it time to consider a full reseed?

Opinions please, I'm not wanting to just throw away fertiliser and hope!

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View attachment 1033862
Check if there’s a compaction issue dunc
Dandelions are also a sign of low PH.
 
Unsprayed docks here are now elongated and setting seed. I’m starting to wilt a rather pleasing silage crop tomorrow, if it doesn’t rain, otherwise Saturday for ensiling Monday.
The weedicide has effected the grass in that the sprayed area is rather laid rather than standing upright as I would expect considering the lower than traditional fertiliser application and relative lack of moisture during the last three weeks.
We'll be where you were a month ago.

I just took sheep off and put fertiliser on silage ground last week.
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
Silage cutting today in a field that was infested with docks last year. The wheel marks in the grass are from the spraying some one month ago. Not a weed of any kind in sight and hopefully no need to repeat within five years

IMG_3625.jpeg

Back to the mowing now after a short break to change my fluids.

Edit. Not to oneself, it’s ‘break’ not ‘brake’ you silly boy! Corrected now.
 
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I've said it before and once again- do not spray off grass leys merely because of broad leaved weeds. You can throw an entire armoury of chemistry at a field and it will still be cheaper than reseeding.

Only reseed where the sward is now tired- like being full of weed grasses or is otherwise now unproductive.

You can add fluroxypyr (hurler/hatchet etc) to a 2,4D/MCPA mix if you wanted to go cleaning up fields but just beware it really smashes clover hard. Both fluroxypyr and CMPP muller clover.
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
We'll be where you were a month ago.

I just took sheep off and put fertiliser on silage ground last week.
Sheep came off the fields in the picture at the very last day or two of February. There are a few fields that had the sheep off three weeks earlier and the crop is noticeably heavier but more stalky even now on May 7th.
90 acres wilted today. Will start carting tomorrow evening so that it's all comfortably in the clamp by Monday evening, before the forecast rain. Got another 45 acres for the replacement stock and dry cows, hopefully in the clamp before the 18th. About half of that has also been sprayed to kill docks.
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
I've said it before and once again- do not spray off grass leys merely because of broad leaved weeds. You can throw an entire armoury of chemistry at a field and it will still be cheaper than reseeding.

Only reseed where the sward is now tired- like being full of weed grasses or is otherwise now unproductive.

You can add fluroxypyr (hurler/hatchet etc) to a 2,4D/MCPA mix if you wanted to go cleaning up fields but just beware it really smashes clover hard. Both fluroxypyr and CMPP muller clover.
I used 2.5 litres/ha Thrust [2,4-D and Dicamba] plus 1lts/ha Moraine [Fluroxypyr] which is 70% of recommended Thrust and 50% of Moraine if used exclusively. This in 250lts/ha of water.
I hope it will be more effective and cheaper than full rate Doxstar and certainly a better alternative for me than spraying half rate Doxstar twice, which I have concluded is a waste of time and money.

I have no clover to worry about and I suspect that this crop of grass, which is very dense, would have smothered clover anyway.
 
I used 2.5 litres/ha Thrust [2,4-D and Dicamba] plus 1lts/ha Moraine [Fluroxypyr] which is 70% of recommended Thrust and 50% of Moraine if used exclusively. This in 250lts/ha of water.
I hope it will be more effective and cheaper than full rate Doxstar and certainly a better alternative for me than spraying half rate Doxstar twice, which I have concluded is a waste of time and money.

I have no clover to worry about and I suspect that this crop of grass, which is very dense, would have smothered clover anyway.

That mix should work well, I have used it before. Docks really really will not like being hit with dicamba and fluroxypyr. You should also sting ragwort, buttercup, dandelion and other riff-raff.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
That mix should work well, I have used it before. Docks really really will not like being hit with dicamba and fluroxypyr. You should also sting ragwort, buttercup, dandelion and other riff-raff.

I’ve been considering a similar mix for patches of nettles that are creeping back in. Would Thrust and Hurler (and maybe an adjuvant oil) be effective?
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
I’ve been considering a similar mix for patches of nettles that are creeping back in. Would Thrust and Hurler (and maybe an adjuvant oil) be effective?
Substitute Hurler for the Morain I used. Same stuff.
Yes it knocks nettles but do you actually need that degree of weed killing potency and cost for nettles? If its just for patches you may as well use it but be aware that these chemicals might not be recommended for knapsack application. You need to check.
 

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