Burning as an option to get rid of smart weed?

[Derek Reese 29]

Got some smart weed starting to creep into the southern parts of the plots at my house. These areas get the least amount of sun and most amount of water (they are the bottom of a sloped field).
My question is, would burning them off now have enough heat to destroy the seeds or would that just allow the seeds to drop onto more bare ground? Are there any other options? The stuff is pretty high and real thick and the thought of having to wade in and attack it with gly next year makes me nervous..
I could always throw some WR seeds where I burn so there’s something growing?!?

 

[jsasker007]

I've had the stuff for a year or two at a time. I've mowed it when it gets to about what your picture shows and that did set it back for a while. I've hit it with the disc and that slowed it down for a while. After a couple of years of trying to get rid of it, it just went away. Rye is always a good idea in my opinion. To finally answer your question, NO I have not tried burning it. After mowing once it starts to grow lower to the ground so you can't mow it hence the "smart" weed. Can say that it never really caused any issues with the stuff I had planted as far as chocking it out at all. It is annoying though

 

[Bill]

What is supposed to be in the plot?
Basagran herbicide will kill it in clover. IMOX is what I've used to kill it in clover.

Not sure on burning.

 

[FarmerDan]

I don't know about burning. My suspicion is you couldn't get the fire hot enough to affect anything much below the soil surface. Not enough fuel. Even if you were successful you would be at it forever. Smartweed appears in wet, slowly draining soils and you won't change the characteristic of your land. IMOX, I think, is the best herbicide because of its alleged residual activity. As with most all herbicides rate and timing of application are critical for sustained success. There are plenty of posts about IMOX and smartweed here on the forum.

 

[meyerske]

Gly won't kill smartweed. Use basagran and/or Imox early in the spring.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[RGrizzzz]

Imox++, but make sure it's growing before you spray. I usually see it in late spring in PA. (home and camp)

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Imox++, but make sure it's growing before you spray. I usually see it in late spring in PA. (home and camp)

Will Imox hurt fruit trees? Got some fruit trees near this area?!?

 

[omicron1792]

Will Imox hurt fruit trees? Got some fruit trees near this area?!?

Nah

 

[RGrizzzz]

Will Imox hurt fruit trees? Got some fruit trees near this area?!?

Spray it on the ground, not the trees. ;)

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Spray it on the ground, not the trees. ;)

Haha with my sprayer it gets a little wild some times..

 

[bigboreblr]

Basagran doesn't hurt clover? Using it for sedge in 2025. Not worried if it does though. Spots don't have alot of clover.

 

[RGrizzzz]

The Imox or Raptor label suggests adding it in clover if there's sedge.

Basagran doesn't hurt clover? Using it for sedge in 2025. Not worried if it does though. Spots don't have alot of clover.

 

[bigboreblr]

2,4D can be used to control smartweed 2,4D doesn't bother grains much. I'd keep a little distnce between those tree cages and the 2,4D. Atleast water the leaves right after applying. 2,4D is debated whether to harm trees much. Some states its legal to do around fruit trees. Clover handles wet soils better than other things, so you can try to swap smartweed for clover. Would wait a week after spraying 2,4D to put clover seed down.