Beating the rain

Today will be an adventure in beating the rain.

There are many burdock in and around the Upper Orchard. The neighbors closest to the Upper Orchard have a Beagle and a German Shepherd. Burdock burs are a pain in the behind if you have a dog with long fur.

Burdock is very "responsive" to 2,4-D applications when the main shoot is extending. The label says it is "rain-fast" six-to-eight hours after application. That translates as "enough product has been absorbed by the two outer layers of the leaf to diffuse through the plant and result in the target dying.

The weather-guessers predict that the chance of rain will be below 50% until 11:00 PM which means that if I get the product on the burdock leaves by 10:00 AM I should be OK. One of the "tricks" for spraying burdock is to soak the older, tougher leaves but not spray the youngest ones. The youngest ones will "burn" and trap the herbicide but the old ones will absorb the 2,4-D and pass it on to the main stem and roots.

One caution about 2,4-D is that it comes in two formulations. The ester formulation is volatile and can damage nearby, sensitive, non-target plants like tomatoes during hot weather. It also stinks (smells bad). The other formulation is the amine formulation. The amine formulation is much less volatile but is sensitive to water quality and penetrates the surface of the leaf more slowly. Both issues can be addressed by dissolving ammonium sulfate in the water before adding the 2,4-D amine concentrate. Using enough wetter/surfactant ensures total wet-out of the leaf surface which also helps get the 2,4-D amine into the leaf.

I will be using the amine formulation mixed to the maximum concentration listed for "spot treatment" on the label for perennial weeds.

One thing I like about 2,4-D is that the response can be seen in a couple of days. I can go back and spray the plants that I missed. 

After spraying, I intend to throw urea around some of the trees on in the Hill Orchard that are not carrying as many leaves as they should be.

Looks exactly like me in High School. Go figure?