Gordon's Brush Killer - new growth field willows

toolgarage · Sep 2, 2015

I have a 6 acre field that has been overrun by 1" willows in MN. I cut all of them down a couple weeks ago, and purchased a couple gallons of Gordon's Brush Killer (Trimec) to do the job. I have a large 100 gallon PTO sprayer to apply the herbicide.

The instructions on the label are somewhat vague on the application mix ratio. Anywhere from 1/2% to 2% mix ratios. The willows will come back up next spring with new shoots which is when I plan to spray for them, but I don't want to use too much Trimec - expensive to use.... I also want to figure out if I need more than a couple gallons.

Anyone have any guidance on what the mix ratio should be Trimec : water for small new shoot willows like this?

Also, I'd like to know if it is too late to spray this fall, or if I spray next spring, will be better to recut the willows prior to spraying, or if the Trimec will do the deed without recutting?

Appreciate any info.

Tool

Dick2 · Sep 3, 2015

Many variables, so it's hard to be sure how much it will take any certain plants. In cases like yours, I've always thought that the plants would be easier to kill if they were cut back and then sprayed the re-growth. Don't know about willows though.

teddy52food · Sep 3, 2015

Not sure on that one, but some have to be sprayed on a fresh cut so it won't sprout out. Read the label.

sotxbill · Sep 3, 2015

we have good luck on fresh cut. the higher dose will give a higher percentage of kill. Lots of variables. weather, rain, growth season, etc.

JBMac76 · Sep 3, 2015

Tool, if you haven't opened the product see if you can return it. There's some better products out there for brush control these days. A willow
isn't particularly hard to control, not in the South anyway, but there's some products that will give you longer term control. . I would recommend
a product called Milestone. It seems expensive, but you use very little per acre. It will cost you about $18 an acre to apply it. The benefit of
milestone is it won't harm grasses and has some preemergent activity on seedlings,so it will help keep your field weed free longer. Use a good
surfactant, such as methylated seed oil. Not dish soap. Dish soaps are surfactants, but they are the wrong type (anionic vs non-ionic) and
actually reduce the herbicides efficacy. If they still have foliage and you can spray them in the fall, that would be best, as the plants will more
readily take herbicides to their roots this time of year. I think adjusting your speed, pressure or tips to give your sprayer an output of 25 GPA
would be best, I like to get good coverage on brush. There's lots of videos online on calibrating your sprayer if you need help. Hope this helps.

toolgarage · Sep 3, 2015

(quoted from post at 08:03:30 09/03/15) Tool, if you haven't opened the product see if you can return it. There's some better products out there for brush control these days. A willow
isn't particularly hard to control, not in the South anyway, but there's some products that will give you longer term control. . I would recommend
a product called Milestone. It seems expensive, but you use very little per acre. It will cost you about $18 an acre to apply it. The benefit of
milestone is it won't harm grasses and has some preemergent activity on seedlings,so it will help keep your field weed free longer. Use a good
surfactant, such as methylated seed oil. Not dish soap. Dish soaps are surfactants, but they are the wrong type (anionic vs non-ionic) and
actually reduce the herbicides efficacy. If they still have foliage and you can spray them in the fall, that would be best, as the plants will more
readily take herbicides to their roots this time of year. I think adjusting your speed, pressure or tips to give your sprayer an output of 25 GPA
would be best, I like to get good coverage on brush. There's lots of videos online on calibrating your sprayer if you need help. Hope this helps.

I've read the entire Milestone brochure, and it mentions many woody plants like Oak, Maple, etc. but no mention of Willow. Have you used it on willows in the past?

Ken Macfarlane · Sep 3, 2015

Generic triclopyr works quite well too. Very low rate. If the number of stumps isn't crazy you can brush it on a fresh cut and get a good kill of the roots. It won't affect grasses at the label rates.

Ken Macfarlane · Sep 3, 2015

Be aware the two good brush killer chemicals (triclypyr and aminopyrolid spelling?) have carry over in manure if sprayed then the crop of hay is taken off. It will kills tomato plants for years so don't let mama put that manure on the garden and don't spread it on your soybean ground!!!

JBMac76 · Sep 3, 2015

I'm not sure if it's the same species of willows there, but it hammers them down here. I know it kills locusts and oaks, which is pretty hard to do.
That's good advice Ken gave- the aminopyralid (milestone) can persist in in manures from grazed areas. It's a really safe product to cattle, it
passes through them unchanged and ends up in the poop! Milestone is really good on thistles, too, if you have problems with those in your
fields.

evilboweivel · Sep 7, 2015

don't sharpen blades before cutting
you want to use dull beat up blades when mowing in the spring
this will shatter the willows creating more damage to the willow and giving more surface area to get chemicals on
also sharp blades cutting trees leave sharp stumps to puncture tires

Gordon's Brush Killer - new growth field willows

toolgarage

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Dick2

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teddy52food

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sotxbill

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JBMac76

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toolgarage

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Ken Macfarlane

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Ken Macfarlane

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JBMac76

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evilboweivel

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