blacktail slayer

I have a question about spraying and killing weeds in a meadow on a friends property.

1. When is the best time to spray and kill weeds? After mowing, in late summer before fall hits and weeds start sucking down all their nutrients instead up pushing everything up like during spring growth?

2. How many times would you spray? How long would you wait to see if spraying worked (months or years)?

3. How long should a person wait until putting down lime and fertilizer?

4. How long to wait for lime and fertilizer to work before putting seed down?

5. I still need to take a soil sample and determine the name of the weed taking over the meadow, but could anyone answer what kind of spray for a (leafy/grassy weed) and what kind of fertilizer to use? Hopefully I will make it out there sometime soon to get more information.

Thanks for the help.

Soilman

Do you plan to plant next spring? It sounds like that from some of your questions, so that is where I will go. I would get the soil test this spring. If you do need lime, that should be applied this fall. Fertilizer can also be applied in the fall, but you do not want to add nitrogen in the fall if you live in a wet area. Both the fertilizer and lime need to be worked into the soil. Fertilzer can be put on in the spring, and it is best to put on large amounts of N (such as for corn) in rainy climates in the spring.

I would spray the meadow in early fall, about 1 month before most plants go dormant. Mowing 2 weeks before spraying will help if you have tall weeds that will not allow you to get good spray coverage, and you do want the weeds to be growing and not going to seed. Regular mowings during the summer will also kill some weeds, and keep seed production lower this year. Use 1 qt/acre roundup with 1 pint/acre 2,4-D. Consider 2 qt/a roundup and 2 pt/a 2,4-D if you do not need to add lime, and are not planning to till in the fall. Wait at least one week, and the weeds will be dead. Apply your lime and any P-K fertilizer, and work into the soil. If you do get any regrowth or seeds germinating, you can spray with roundup in the spring 1 week before planting, and/or rework the soil (and add any fertilizer, especially N fertilizer) before planting.

Good luck, and I am sure other guys here will have some good ideas for you as well.

haystack

1) Mid to late summer is generally the best time to spray in a situation such as yours. I would mow first and let the weeds regenerate and then "nuke em"

2) If done correctly, one application will kill the majority of the weeds and grasses, new seedlings will sprout but they can be controlled easily with tillage. I would use a 41% Glyphosate @ 2 quarts an acre if its mainly grass. If its lots of broadleaf weeds, then I would use 1qt of gly + 1 pint of 2,4-D amine per acre. In 1 to 2 weeks the weeds/grass will be dead.

3) I apply fertilizer right before planting, especially nitrogen.

4) Lime works best if applied 6 months to 1 year in advance of planting, depending on what is being planted.

5) If help is needed identifying the type of weed or weeds, we could help if you had a picture.

Depending on a soil test and what is being planted, will determine what type of fertilizer and the rate. The soil test will save you money.

blacktail slayer

Thank you so much for the help. I need to make a trip over to the place and take some pics. I think he will want to plant native grasses here in the wet Willamette Valley of Oregon. I will try to post pics when I get the chance to get out there, but extremely busy with school right now. Thanks again.

blacktail slayer

I think he may want to plant next year if we can kill all the weeds.

haystack

I have read about the Willamette Valley and seen pictures, truly a beautiful place!! Good Luck to ya'll