Weed control questions

6 posts
Fri, 01/15/2016 - 12:24 #1

Member for

9 years 8 months
Kaz
Last seen: 07/06/2023 - 21:03
Joined: 04/05/2015 - 09:51

Weed control questions

Hi all, hope everyone is well! I have 2 major weed problems currently on my property. A yellow flowering thistle and St Johns Wort. The wort covered and entire side of a hill however the thistle mostly along my seasonal creek. I gave the thistle a good whack with a spray while the creek was dry and then mulched up under my mower blades. I think our problem was we didn't get to it soon enough as our property changed hands when we should have been beginning to spray. We took over our property in Late October. Questions are: when do I start treating for such large surface areas so I know for next year? And will a selective weed spray do as we still have a lot of natural pasture growing with these 2 particular weeds? Will weed spray still contaminate a dry seasonal creek once waster starts flowing again? What is a recommended spray and what is recommended equipment for such a large area? Will a back pack spray be sufficient due to the gradient of the hill as I wont safely be able to navigate a vehicle.

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Mon, 01/18/2016 - 11:37 #2
Terry
Last seen: 02/29/2024 - 14:20
Joined: 09/13/2013 - 18:57

HI Kaz,

 

The Yellow flowering Thistle sounds like Gorse andf its a cow to get rid of. If you have an Ipad or an Iphone there is a free app called Weedwise put out by NSW agriclture and it is outstanding for answering all the questions you may have on handling weeds and thier treatments. It includes photos so you should be able to identify the weeds as well. 

 

Highly recommend  the app.

 

Good luck with it all.

 

kind regards

 

 

Terry

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Tue, 01/19/2016 - 10:27 #3
charlie
Last seen: 12/26/2018 - 09:21
Joined: 05/31/2011 - 09:44

Hi Kaz,

St Johns wort is best controlled when it is fresh and flowering usually from September to November. Grazon is an effective selective chemical which can be used to control St Johns Wort which will not kill clovers or grasses. Spot spraying using a back pack will be the best option if it is only in small isolated pactches. For larger areas if you can get access via a quad bike you may be able to use a weed wiper. The system uses a limited amount of chemical with it only applied to the plant, limiting any chemcial hitting the soil. 

Regarding the thistle, the first thing will be to correctly identify it prior to suggesting any sort of control method.

Regards,

Charlie

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Tue, 01/19/2016 - 12:34 #4
Kaz
Last seen: 07/06/2023 - 21:03
Joined: 04/05/2015 - 09:51
Thankyou for your helpful responses. I have access to a quadbike and have a plan to use fluoro coloured rope layed around the patches on the ground, and using a weed spray containing blue dye to ensure productive spraying, unfortunately the area wont be accessable with a wiper in tow unless i can find quite a narrow wiper, I have a 15L back pack sprayer. Sounds like I'll have to hit the St Johns Wort next year! As for the yellow thistle, I have identified it as Saffron Thistle. I have small patches in my pasture area and mass amounts along my seasonal creek. I notice it is also growing along the local road sides. We hit huge amounts of it with the mulcher before it made it to flower but there are areas along the creek back that we simply need to spray. I have managed to eradicate my Pattinsons curse problem and milk thistle problem as they only appeared in small quantities. Any further advice with this information will be much appreciated.
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Wed, 02/03/2016 - 17:36 #5
Ricki
Last seen: 03/08/2018 - 21:05
Joined: 05/03/2013 - 17:09

Hi Kaz - seems like you have exactly the same problem I had, only I had it 12 months before you did. We bought our 25 acre place in October 2014, and were moving in when we should have been out spraying.  :-\  As a result, we had quite a surge in St John's Wort and a few patches of African Lovegrass. I should have been spraying these in 2015 but had major surgery which laid me up for about the same amount of time it took for all the Wort and lovegrass to flower and seed again. :-P  So, big job next year.

 

I've done some spot-spraying in the meantime using a Grazon-type spray - it's exactly the same active ingredient, kills woody weeds and not the grass, but without the brand name and without the price tag. Ask if there's something cheaper available when you go to get your Grazon. It's insanely expensive, otherwise.

 

All the best, and enjoy your new property!!

 

Ricki

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Wed, 02/03/2016 - 17:46 #6
Kaz
Last seen: 07/06/2023 - 21:03
Joined: 04/05/2015 - 09:51
Thanks Ricky!! What is the product called? I was quoted $265 for 5L of Grazon! I have also created my own weedwiper, a push version and a Quadbike towed Pull version. Unfortunately its too late to practise on my St Johns wort so hoping some new weed pops up in the meantime lol! My SJW seed heads are turning brown but the leaves are green and have been advised to treat next year!
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