Chute N The Bull

Most of the weeds that are present in your pastures as we approach
summer will probably be perennials plus some annuals that you missed
with your initial chemical application (if there was one). The
transition from spring to summer is the right time of year for brush
control, as long as the weather is good.
Some of the brush control herbicides we recommend during the late
spring-early summer period can move in the soil during wet conditions,
so keep this in mind when spraying near desired trees and plants. Remedy™
is a brush control herbicide that doesn't have soil activity, so we
don't worry about it moving in the soil. For the weeds in the pastures,
the spring-summer transition is the time to consider herbicide
applications on horsenettle, silverleaf nightshade, bull nettle,
blackberries, Johnsongrass and sericea lespedeza. Sericea lespedeza
should be controlled as soon as you discover it in your pastures.
Oklahoma State University has shown that Remedy™ or Pasturegard™ applied
to actively growing plants in June or early July when soil moisture was
adequate for plant growth provided excellent control. Another option
would be Cimarron™ applied in September during midbloom of the sericea,
again where plants are actively growing. Remember that the blackberries,
horsenettle and silverleaf nightshade should be sprayed when they are in
the bloom stage of development since these are perennial plants. The
highest flow of carbohydrates from the shoots to the roots occurs during
the bloom stage. The goal is to move as much herbicide as possible to
the roots, killing them and preventing them from visiting our pastures
next year. By the beginning of summer, any annuals you have in your
pastures have already done most of their damage for the year and are
likely to be too mature to control.
By June, you've probably missed controlling weeds for the year, except
for those listed above. Take a summer "weed census" of your pasture so
that you know what you'll need to control next spring. You can find
this and past articles on the web at www.mycountrytractor.com for your
reference. Extension programs serve of all ages regardless of
socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national
origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperatings
serve of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex,
religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas A&M University
System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners
Courts of Texas Cooperating


Thank you,
Tommy Neyland
County Extension Agent
Texas Agrilife Extension Service
P.O. Box 188
Centerville, Texas 75833
903.536.2531 phone
903.536.3804 fax