Richard Tease, the weatherman promises that we will get rain tomorrow. Every time I look the amount he is promising the amount decreases.
I took advantage of the coming rain (?) to spray thistles. 2,4-D acts as a hormone that steps on the gas-pedal and shouts "GROW!!!" Cells respond. Stems twist as tissue on one side of the stem grows faster than tissue on the other side of the stem. Cells lining vascular structures (tubes moving juice) explode into growth and choke off those vascular structures. Unregulated growth depletes the plants' reserves of carbohydrates.
The thing is that 2,4-D is a multiplier. It has much less effect on a plant that is dormant and not growing than it does on a plant that is already growing like crazy-mad.
I expect the weeds to put on a flush of growth with the half-inch of rain we might get. So, I put the full 12 pack of beer on the weeds' gas pedal by spot-applying 2,4-D. The plants have about 24 hours to suck it in through the leaf membrane before it might wash off. Given the 80 degree high temperature I expect today and very low humidity, that should be more than enough time.
I went through four gallons of spray with a hand sprayer. That is a fair amount of thistles.
And yes, Mr B, I wore long pants this time.
Additional note: The cattle are eating the flower-buds off of the tops of the Canadian Thistle in Sprite's back pasture.
Ha! Old dogs can learn new tricks!
ReplyDeleteYou must have the same weatherman as me.... jap beetles are in full swing now, but I keep holding off on spraying anything because "its going to rain tomorrow", and never materializes.
I'll setup the sprinkler and spray the orchard this afternoon, that will ensure we get a downpour.
I like 2,4-D. It works for me on a variety of tough weeds. It's bad to drift, though.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to add that to the 'arsenal' so to speak.
ReplyDeleteFWIW- The family ranch is 554 acres and has had a minimum of 40 mother cows and their calves grazing on our place for at least 50 years. When a retired county ag director visited a while back he commented that he had never seen a place with so little non-native invasive plants in his life.
ReplyDeleteAt the time of his visit our area was having an outbreak of Klamath weed. It was horrible in the fenced county road right of way as you drove to our place but gradually disappeared where the cattle grazed on the leased property inside the fence.
Between my pulling it every time I'd see it and the cattle grazing year round it was never a problem on our place.
Thanks for letting me bloviate.
As much as I hate thistle in my pasture or hedgerow, I do like seeing gold finches. Those little yellow fellows love thistles.
ReplyDeleteI'd have gladly sent you our rain today. Today is my golf day and it rained about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of rain. Still, that didn't stop us from getting out there and getting wet. Did good enough to win $40 bucks.
ReplyDelete