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Crossbow on Milkweeds

D

Dean

Well-known Member
Not the common, annual milkweeds that the Monarch butterfly catterpillars eat but the recent (in my area) perennial type that ryzhomes.

I started noticing these things 10-15 years ago but thought that they could be easily controlled with broad leaf herbicides so did little.

Damn things are perennial, ryzhome, and are unaffected by just about any broad leaf herbicide that I am aware of. Yes, Round Up will kill them but I have them in areas where I cannot kill the grass.

Once established, they can grow densly and rapidly enough to choke out even heavy grass. One must mow every 3 or 4 weeks to prevent this.

Local farm store had Crossbow on sale so I bought a gallon to experiment. Material says "suppress" at highest recommended concentration.

Going to experiment this fall.

Anyone have first hand experiance?

Dean
 
You could either spray earlier in the spring when they begin to sprout, or mow them of this fall, and as they begin to regrow, then spray them for the best control. Ask your extension office agent for recommendations. I think pasture guard or milestone are effective. Mark.
 

I have eliminated milkweed from a lot of ground with Round-up. I always got it before it got established by going around on foot with a little 2 gallon sprayer. just a little blip on each plant two-three weeks after first cut.
 
I have spoken to my extension agent but he just went to google to find mostly what I had already found.

IIRC, he did recommend Millstone. Haven't found it around here in AG or feed stores but will have anothr look.

Dean
 
I too have eliminated common ((Monarch) large leaf) milkweek from my ground mostly by pulling up each plant when the ground is soft.

This stuff is Much different. It's perennial and it rhyzomes. It spreads like crazy. Unlike common (Monarch) milkweed, the leaves are smaller and it branches.

Mowing helps to keep it from spreading but does not kill it no matter how often one mows.

If the Crossbow does not work (don't think that it will), I'll use it on my lawn for the ground ivy and try Millstone on the perennial milkweed.

Dean
 
(quoted from post at 17:26:54 07/17/20) I too have eliminated common ((Monarch) large leaf) milkweek from my ground mostly by pulling up each plant when the ground is soft.

This stuff is Much different. It's perennial and it rhyzomes. It spreads like crazy. Unlike common (Monarch) milkweed, the leaves are smaller and it branches.

Mowing helps to keep it from spreading but does not kill it no matter how often one mows.

If the Crossbow does not work (don't think that it will), I'll use it on my lawn for the ground ivy and try Millstone on the perennial milkweed.

Dean
Click to expand...

That sounds like the Creeping Charlie that I have been fighting for
the last four years. I made some progress with 2-4-d but sometimes the 2-4-D kills as much grass as it does the creeping charlie. I think that the amount of moisture in the ground has a lot to do with it. I have just recently decided to let my grass grow taller, becaus it suddenly struck me that lawns that I have noticed that are doing better are taller. I have been watering a lot because it has been dry, and fertilizing more. I have an area that was in decline and crab grass was taking over but it is doing well this year with the watering and feeding and the crabgrass is on the run.
 
Not sure what the plant is that youre describing, but nearly all weeds need sprayed at the right time for herbicide to be effective. Usually when they are young and short. Waiting until theyre a foot tall will likely give poor results. Many will also need multiple applications to catch the ones that werent growing during the first application.
 
Sounds to me like you are fighting Dogbane. The main plant is kinda red looking and has a cluster of berry. I've been fighting it for the past 5 years, darned stuff just keeps coming bac Keithk
 
Sounds like your agent is not very knowledgeable about weeds. However he should have publications-handouts-with pictures and the proper scientific name for most weeds. I live in Kentucky and our extension service has some good info with when to spray-VERY IMPORTANT as most weeds are hard to kill the more mature they get-what to spray, and what to expect-such as feeding or grazing restrictions. In fact we have had weed control seminars and we can rent a broad jet pull type sprayer from the office. It is boom less so it can be used in pastures thru rough terrain.
Milestone has some serious residuals, and you should read up on it. 2 4 d has serious drift issues, and so does crossbow to lessor extent. You can kill your neighbors tobacco or soybeans or alfalfa with drift, so be careful what you use. Good luck, Mark.
 
Thanks, Mark.

I have no animals or crops aside from a hay field (not a real farmer).

The areas where I hope to spray are far from any property lines so I should nave no drift or residual issues.

I'll read up on Millstone if the Crossbow does not work.

Dean
 
I researched dogbane and you're right, Keith. That's what I have.

It appears that there is no magic bullet for this stuff. If I had known that 10+ years ago, I would have eradicated it when still manageable. It's now out of control.

Dean
 
The milestone residual stays in the hay into the following year, and if you harvest it and feed to animals and collect and spread the manure-the manure can kill certain crops such as soybeans or tobacco. Mark.
 
Dean, I looked on my weed-spray chart and dogbane hemp lists crossbow as a fair/good control and lists pasture guard as good control. I also googled dogbane and it is listed as poisonous. I was bush hogging today and saw some in my fields too. Mark.
 
Thanks, Mark.

I found Dogbane on the list of weeds controlled on my bottle of Crosbow, and at the lower concentration rate. "Milkweed" is listed only as "Supressed" at the high concentration rate.

I'll give it a try this fall.

Dean
 
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