I live in the piedmont of NC and I need to spray and kill some sericea lespedeza in a 4 acre hay field. What is the best thing to use. I also bought a horse drawn sickle mower to use as a yard piece but it was in really nice shape and works would any one be interested in buying it to use thanks
- Thread starter to30man
- Start date
kcm.MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- NW Minnesota
I've never heard of that plant before, but have recently found a couple of videos that I'm wanting to try on some nasty stuff around here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNppycsyRgY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad-hncscnZc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNppycsyRgY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad-hncscnZc
Traditional Farmer
Well-known Member
- Location
- Virginia
Actually it grows on poor acid land and is a legume,if you didn't have Serica you'd probably have Broom Sage or nothing.Couple places I cut hay there is right much of it, it makes good hay if cut before it gets 'woody' and blooms.Lime your land and get the fertility up it won't thrive very well.Also is reputed to be a worm inhibitor in ruminants so that's a plus I save the bales with the most Sericea for the goats they love it and keep up good off the hay in the Winter.Also great stuff for wildlife plots.
Jim I get your talking about the vining lespedeza. It is a legume and is good for livestock. What he is talking about is a different class of plant. It is more of a stemmy weed. Not good for pasture or hay. I think Grazon will kill it but I will have to check the label.
Traditional Farmer
Well-known Member
- Location
- Virginia
Guarantee its Sericea, Piedmont of VA and NC has it everywhere.Its a legume and livestock love it especially goats.Lot higher in food value than most non legume grasses.
Most states consider Sericea Lespedeza a noxious weed. It is VERY invasive, hard to kill, and releases tannins that make the soil unsuitable for other plants. Get rid of it as soon as you can!
https://www.se-eppc.org/manual/LECU.html
North Carolina lists it as an invasive species
https://www.se-eppc.org/manual/LECU.html
North Carolina lists it as an invasive species
John M
Well-known Member
- Location
- Nunyafn business
We had over 2000 acres in Sericea. Made a killing off of that hay for many years, with minimal work other than cutting and baling.
Stephen Newell
Well-known Member
Probably the best thing you could do is mow the field before the stuff goes to seed.
Traditional Farmer
Well-known Member
- Location
- Virginia
Just goes to show how stupid Gov't can be at times.
Andy Martin
Well-known Member
It is just not that bad in a hay field. But as others have said it needs to be mowed while it is tender for the best hay. I have one prairie grass field which was planted to it by the previous owner. He kept goats. We mow once per year and the prairie grass is slowly crowding it out. In woodland pasture where you can't mow it will take over. Just like most clovers, cattle don't want it until it is cut and cured and won't graze it standing. In the hay field just keep it cut. If you have bermuda in the field fertilize for the bermuda and cut regularly and you will get rid of it in several years, just like johnson grass.
Richard G.
Well-known Member
I I had to choose between Sericea Lespedeza and alfalfa, I would go with the SL. My Dad used to grow it for hay. Cut in the morning and bale that afternoon or evening. Less chance of getting rained on. Cut when it is about 10 inches tall.
High protein. I have seen cows pick through hay to eat it first. It will put down roots 10 feet deep here in our clay soils and is very drought resistant.
If I was a young man, I would plant a field of it just to prove how good a hay it makes.
Should be planted in February to let frost heave scarify the hard seed. Or buy scarified seed.
A friend used to grow it near here and combine it to sell to the NC DOT for roadside banks. He made a bunch of money doing that.
Richard in NW SC
High protein. I have seen cows pick through hay to eat it first. It will put down roots 10 feet deep here in our clay soils and is very drought resistant.
If I was a young man, I would plant a field of it just to prove how good a hay it makes.
Should be planted in February to let frost heave scarify the hard seed. Or buy scarified seed.
A friend used to grow it near here and combine it to sell to the NC DOT for roadside banks. He made a bunch of money doing that.
Richard in NW SC
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