Spraying Weed Help

[blacktailslayer]

I have a question about spraying and killing weeds in a meadow on a friends property.

1. When is the best time to spray and kill weeds? After mowing, in late summer before fall hits and weeds start sucking down all their nutrients instead up pushing everything up like during spring growth?

2. How many times would you spray? How long would you wait to see if spraying worked (months or years)?

3. How long should a person wait until putting down lime and fertilizer?

4. How long to wait for lime and fertilizer to work before putting seed down?

5. I still need to take a soil sample and determine the name of the weed taking over the meadow, but could anyone answer what kind of spray for a (leafy/grassy weed) and what kind of fertilizer to use? Hopefully I will make it out there sometime soon to get more information.

Thanks for the help.

[dogdoc]

It's very important to identify the weed. If in a meadow then you don't want to use anything to kill the native grasses. More than likely it is a broadleaf weed and you would want to use 2-4D. If it is a grassy weed then there is not much you can use. The best time to spray is now when the weed is actively growing and before it flowers and spreads more seeds.

Lime is slow acting in changing pH and takes months to start neutralizing the soil. Fertilizer starts working immediately--especially the nitrogen. The potassium and phosphorus--if not worked into the soil take a little time to work down in the soil.

next time your there take a pic of the weed and post it and we'll see if we can id it for you.

[Tominator]

I guess I'm a little confused. Are you thinking of establishing a new plot?

If so, spray with roundup on a warm sunny day before 2 pm. If you're reseeding an established plot, follow Todd's advice.

[wtnhunt]

I have a question about spraying and killing weeds in a meadow on a friends property.

1. When is the best time to spray and kill weeds? After mowing, in late summer before fall hits and weeds start sucking down all their nutrients instead up pushing everything up like during spring growth?

Agree with what Tominator said. I usually try to spray mid day when it will be warmest and no chance for rain.

2. How many times would you spray? How long would you wait to see if spraying worked (months or years)?

With the rising cost of herbicides that would depend. I would spray no more than I have to. If there is no new growth after spraying within two weeks time you should be good to go. Usually I spray twice though one week apart, and I usually do not plant immediately following spraying.

3. How long should a person wait until putting down lime and fertilizer?

New plot or existing plot? Early spring for an existing perennial plot before the weeds take off. For a new plot, you need to lime now for a summer planting, you can fertilize at planting.

4. How long to wait for lime and fertilizer to work before putting seed down?

Depending on what you are planting it can be done different ways. Seed can be planted and fertilizer broadcast over it. When it rains it will work it in. You can also fertilize first at planting and then disc it in and then plant your seed, don't really think there is a wrong way.

5. I still need to take a soil sample and determine the name of the weed taking over the meadow, but could anyone answer what kind of spray for a (leafy/grassy weed) and what kind of fertilizer to use? Hopefully I will make it out there sometime soon to get more information.

Thanks for the help.

Soil sample will tell you what you need, here is a fertilizer calculator that may be helpful to you http://www.tulsamastergardeners.org/blackbox/fertcalc.htm. You can use roundup and or 2-4d if you are trying to kill the vegetation to plant a new plot. If you are trying to kill noxious weeds from an existing plot what you use will depend on what you have planted.

[blacktailslayer]

Thanks for everyones help. There is no native grasses left in the meadow, since a waist high broad leaf weed has taken over the whole meadow. I believe we will plant native grasses in the meadow next year. I was thinking of giving it a year and make sure we don't have to do anymore spot spraying are getting any new growth from seed in the ground. I always thought the best time to spray is not in the spring when weeds are growing, but right before fall and the weeds draws everything down. Wouldn't it be better to mow right now and then wait until July or Aug. to spray? We are still getting some rain over here in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Thanks again. I will try and make a trip over there a get some pics. I'm real busy with school until the middle of June.

[Tominator]

Spring, while the weeds are growing is an OK time, but you are right, fall is better.

[dogdoc]

The problem with waiting until fall is the weeds will have flowered by then and all those seeds will germinate next spring then you will be right back at square one. You can keep mowing the weeds and prevent them from flowering but that will take quite a bit of mowing. Personally I'd go ahead and spray them now--or mow and then wait a couple weeks when they are back growing strong and then spray.