Yes, wait till new growth appears. It won’t kill trees unless they are very small saplings. Mature trees are safe. Spray as much of the plant as you can-especially the leaves. You will have to look at label to see correct mix. For me, killing poison ivy is a constant battle because of the many roots.
So, I’ll have to wait until March. Do I mix the Crossbow with water? What is the active ingredient in Crossbow?
If I can find somebody to take the big pine trees from that one short stretch, I can clean that up and fence that. Then that spot would be fenced on 3 sides and I could run a temporary hot wire fence across the open span. That would give me a little more grazing.
@ducks4you do you buy 24-D at the feed store?
I am a “spray” newbie thank both of you for your help.
How long will it take for the brush and briars to die and turn loose at the roots ? I was thinking I could set the bucket down at ground level and scrape stuff up with the tractor.
I also have some nasties growing on this place. A patch of thistle is making its appearance now. And I have silver leaf nightshade with bright orange berries the size of a quarter. I didn’t know what they were, I have a lot of that. I’m thinking spot spraying those with Grazon. I don’t want to spray the whole fields with Grazon because it will kill all the forbs that the sheep eat. Just grass is boring to a sheep and lacking in essential nutrients that those deep rooted weeds bring up from the depths. I saw some clover when I first looked at this place last April. Now I’m seeing Poor Joe, a weed they love, a small bit of hairy vetch and some Chickeeed.
The middle field they are in now had some bitterweed in it. The sheep didn’t eat the bitterweed, nothing does, but they nipped off the flowers! No flowers, no seed.
I’m watching and observing the changing seasons. I pasture walk and watch the sheep graze to see what they are eating. They will seasonally eat blackberry vines, they like new spring growth, then summer growth but not “old” late summer or fall leaves.
Bermuda, the “Golden Standard” grass of the South-they could care less. Maybe after I get this place fenced and cross fenced, I’ll get a steer calf to raise and run him ahead or behind the sheep, to eat all that darned Bermuda! Or maybe a couple of horses. I deeply miss my horses and haunt Craigslist and a couple of kill pens sites. Yes I am afflicted.
