cactus problems
 

alright guys, need some help here. our farm is being completely overrun by what we call prickley pear in georgia. i hate them. my question is, is there a spray that you know of that i could broadcast that would not kill the grass, but kill the cactus? they're getting so bad that spot spraying is almost out of the question.any feedback would really help.

RE: cactus problems
 

Tordon.

http://www.hpj.com/archives/2007/jun07/jun18/Tipsforsprayingforcactus.cfm?login=true

RE: cactus problems
 

tordon will kill everything it comes into contact w/ and can even translocate to other plants if it rains soon after application.

Have you tried fire? You know, burning the fields?

RE: cactus problems
 

In Florida you can't get Tordon, but maybe you can in Georgia. It will kill all plants if applied properly..

RE: cactus problems
 

i'm not familiar with tordon, I have killed them w/ remedy, but i was just wondering if there was anything that wouldn't kill the grass. i guess spot spraying is the only way. we burn our fields once every two years, and while burning you can hear the cactus laughing. the come back much greener and seem to thrive after the burn.

RE: cactus problems
 

Tordon 22K doesn't kill grass. It only kills broadleafs when applied properly.

I've been using a helicopter outfit instead of a spray plane. It costs $4/acre more, but I've been getting almost 100% kills. They can put out over twice as much water per acre, and they use bigger droplets, so they get a lot better coverage.

You'd also be suprised at how much you can get done spot spraying. Since Surmount has been released, a 25 gallon tank only costs about $18 to mix. Tordon was costing about $27/tank to do the same thing. I've cleared several pastures of prickly pear by spot spraying.

RE: cactus problems
 

Another option is a pear burner. People have used them around here for years and years.

RE: cactus problems
 

a pear burner? i'll have to see if i can get some info on that. I've never heard of it

RE: cactus problems
 

Pear burner. Imagineyour own personalportable flame thrower....we use them to just burn the thorns off the cactus so cattle and deer can eat them...or you can burn the whole thing to da ground! But yes, they come back greener and meaner! LOL!!

You can buy one here:
www.reevesequipment.com

Enjoy.

Best regards,