Fighting weeds in a new hay field that used to be corn

[moparguy55]

So we bought our place last year. Had corn stubble left in the field. I plowed and disced and made the mistake of not planting anything. 2 months later weeds were 4 feet high. Lots of ragweed and had some clover. I bushogged it last fall.

This spring i disced it with a good size disc 3 times. Dragged it with a spike tooth drag.

Planted 15 acred of pasture mix. I fear its weeds again. I see those fern type leafs which i think is ragweed. Also some triangular shaped leafs. I see some small clover.

What is the best way to get rid of the weeds. Mow it off once its a foot high and hope the good stuff pushes up? Or wait and spray it all in the fall and plow it over and plant a winter crop,replow in spring and plant hay seed again ? Spray it no till and drill in a winter seed ?

Thoughts?

Thanks

Planted 5 bags of seed 3 weeks ago with an old deere model b drill seeder set at 12lbs acre.

 

[craigco]

Why not spray it with a 24d variant now. Maybe save what grass you have.

 

[flying belgian]

So we bought our place last year. Had corn stubble left in the field. I plowed and disced and made the mistake of not planting anything. 2 months later weeds were 4 feet high. Lots of ragweed and had some clover. I bushogged it last fall.

This spring i disced it with a good size disc 3 times. Dragged it with a spike tooth drag.

Planted 15 acred of pasture mix. I fear its weeds again. I see those fern type leafs which i think is ragweed. Also some triangular shaped leafs. I see some small clover.

What is the best way to get rid of the weeds. Mow it off once its a foot high and hope the good stuff pushes up? Or wait and spray it all in the fall and plow it over and plant a winter crop,replow in spring and plant hay seed again ? Spray it no till and drill in a winter seed ?

Thoughts?

Thanks

Planted 5 bags of seed 3 weeks ago with an old deere model b drill seeder set at 12lbs acre.

When I blow your picture up it looks like your grass and clover are coming fine. Its to late now but next time plant about 2 bushel acre oats with it. What you got now I think I would let it get about 8" tall and mow it. Your grass and clover will come up fine. Don't let any weeds go to seed. Mow it before. I definitely would not disc up what you have started there.

 

[rrlund]

I'm with FB. Let it grow, then clip it.

 

[moparguy55]

Thanks gentleman will take the hog to it. Cut at about 6 inches high ?

 

[moparguy55]

When I blow your picture up it looks like your grass and clover are coming fine. Its to late now but next time plant about 2 bushel acre oats with it. What you got now I think I would let it get about 8" tall and mow it. Your grass and clover will come up fine. Don't let any weeds go to seed. Mow it before. I definitely would not disc up what you have started there.

How close would you mow it down ?

 

[flying belgian]

Thanks gentleman will take the hog to it. Cut at about 6 inches high ?

Others may disagree but you need to cut it down at least to the top of the clover so nothing is shading regrowth of clover. I would take it down to maybe a 2" stubble.

 

[rrlund]

Others may disagree but you need to cut it down at least to the top of the clover so nothing is shading regrowth of clover. I would take it down to maybe a 2" stubble.

Yes, cut it AT 8 inches down TO 2 inches.

 

[Destroked 450]

So we bought our place last year. Had corn stubble left in the field. I plowed and disced and made the mistake of not planting anything. 2 months later weeds were 4 feet high. Lots of ragweed and had some clover. I bushogged it last fall.

This spring i disced it with a good size disc 3 times. Dragged it with a spike tooth drag.

Planted 15 acred of pasture mix. I fear its weeds again. I see those fern type leafs which i think is ragweed. Also some triangular shaped leafs. I see some small clover.

What is the best way to get rid of the weeds. Mow it off once its a foot high and hope the good stuff pushes up? Or wait and spray it all in the fall and plow it over and plant a winter crop,replow in spring and plant hay seed again ? Spray it no till and drill in a winter seed ?

Thoughts?

Thanks

Planted 5 bags of seed 3 weeks ago with an old deere model b drill seeder set at 12lbs acre.

A common mistake drilling grass seed is planting it to deep, I get best results barely letting the disc openers touch the ground, I just let the seed fall on top of the ground and have the press wheels push the seed against the soil
You have clover coming along with weeds, the weeds will shoot up pretty fast and I wouldn’t let the get to high before mowing the down but at this time of year I wouldn’t mow closer than 3 inches or the heat stress could be harder on new growth than the weeds

 

[flying belgian]

Thanks gentleman will take the hog to it. Cut at about 6 inches high ?

I don't know if bush hogging is a goodOkinawa idea. If the clumps are left on the field they may smother the clover. I always take the first cutting of oats and weeds off the field. Rake it, let it dry and bale it up.

Here's pictures of my new seeding today. Planted end of March, first cutting first week June.

 

[flying belgian]

I don't know if bush hogging is a goodOkinawa idea. If the clumps are left on the field they may smother the clover. I always take the first cutting of oats and weeds off the field. Rake it, let it dry and bale it up.

Here's pictures of my new seeding today. Planted end of March, first cutting first week June.

 

[moparguy55]

Dont think tall enough for bush hog. If i could find a flail or finish mower and cut it soon fine clippings maybe more interesting ? Also with clover pushing low i assume driving over with tractor tires may not be ideal right now either?

The only stuff tall enough now is the mustard weed and pigweed

 

[flying belgian]

Cut it before anything goes to seed.

 

[paul]

There is a special kind of 24d herbicide that doesn’t harm grasses (of course) and also doesn’t kill alfalfas and clovers. It is not the best ever at killing weeds, but it works pretty good - if it doesn’t kill the broadleaf weeds, it will wilt them down to where your good plants can get above the weeds. I think it has a b at the end, 24d-b. It has several generic names. This would do your field wonders. Don’t use regular 24d, it will kill the clover. But, you do have an option.

Otherwise, mowing is going to help. You want the stuff you want to keep to get sunshine, you want the weeds to never ever go to seed, and you don’t want big clumps of dead weeds to choke out your hay. So…. That takes some timing and planning to mow often and timely and the right height.

Grasses and alfalfas sprout and grow slowly. In times past we would plant a cover crop of oats, with the hay seeds under. Get the oats off early, and let the hay seeds grow well. The oats was a nurse crop, it kept the ground from washing away, kept weeds from growing, but didn’t shade out the hay seedlings too badly.

Now a days folk use herbicides without the oats crop.

Or can do it your way and beat back those weeds early and often until the hay crop develops. It will look much better after the first trimming, and by next year will fill in and be pretty good. Even tho it looks terrible right now.

This farming stuff isnt easy is it?

Paul

 

[moparguy55]

There is a special kind of 24d herbicide that doesn’t harm grasses (of course) and also doesn’t kill alfalfas and clovers. It is not the best ever at killing weeds, but it works pretty good - if it doesn’t kill the broadleaf weeds, it will wilt them down to where your good plants can get above the weeds. I think it has a b at the end, 24d-b. It has several generic names. This would do your field wonders. Don’t use regular 24d, it will kill the clover. But, you do have an option.

Otherwise, mowing is going to help. You want the stuff you want to keep to get sunshine, you want the weeds to never ever go to seed, and you don’t want big clumps of dead weeds to choke out your hay. So…. That takes some timing and planning to mow often and timely and the right height.

Grasses and alfalfas sprout and grow slowly. In times past we would plant a cover crop of oats, with the hay seeds under. Get the oats off early, and let the hay seeds grow well. The oats was a nurse crop, it kept the ground from washing away, kept weeds from growing, but didn’t shade out the hay seedlings too badly.

Now a days folk use herbicides without the oats crop.

Or can do it your way and beat back those weeds early and often until the hay crop develops. It will look much better after the first trimming, and by next year will fill in and be pretty good. Even tho it looks terrible right now.

This farming stuff isnt easy is it?

Paul

No Paul it is not easy hahaha.
So much for trying everything the bio way this year. Sweet corn got taken over by weeds.
About to do a clipping and then will go see about the weed killer. I wonder if this 24d-b is available here in canada.the mustard is out heavy. Other than that the clover and ragweed i think itnis are fighting it out.

Some pics today

 

[moparguy55]

Mustard

 

[centash]

No Paul it is not easy hahaha.
So much for trying everything the bio way this year. Sweet corn got taken over by weeds.
About to do a clipping and then will go see about the weed killer. I wonder if this 24d-b is available here in canada.the mustard is out heavy. Other than that the clover and ragweed i think itnis are fighting it out.

Some pics today

Try embutox...we use it with much success on freshly seeded down hay fields. Will allow the alfalfa and clovers and grasses to grow and kill the other broadleaves. Always check the label for rates and timing of application.

Ben

 

[craigco]

Butyrac200 is the generic that I use. It doesn't always get good kill on some weeds. It can twist the alfalfa pretty good but it will straighten out. I think Pursuit is the name brand. I did a patch of round up ready alfalfa with a preemergent. That kept 99% of weeds under control. I think the preemergent is the key if you have activated all the weed seeds. Talk to your supplier to get the right one if you go that route.

 

[moparguy55]

Mowed off the top few days ago.

Can see now thr planting seed lines are a more dark green and the weedy stuff more like color.

Will see about having it sprayed. Mowing off the top explosed good growth of clover underneath.

 

[paul]

It does look better after a mowing doesn’t it? Good.

For your corn. For next year I guess:

Corn shoots out of the ground and grows about ankle high. 4 leaves or so showing. Then it sits still for a couple weeks. Actually it is feeding its root system and growing bigger roots. Then it takes off and grows crazy, several inches a day. It uses that big root it developed to collect the nutrients to grow rapidly.

The trouble is weeds don’t take that same 2 week break and stop growing. They take advantage and grow over the corn.

When weeds start shading corn at this root growth stage, the corn panics. It abandons its root growing and tries to keep up and grow ahead of the weeds. But now, even if it does outgrow the weeds, or if you come along and destroy the weeds, the corn is all messed up. It does not have the root system it needs, but the longer sunlight days are telling its time to grow tall and set an ear and tassel. But… there is no root system to make that happen, and no time for the corn to start over.

So…. The most crucial time to control weeds in corn is when about 3 leaves are showing on the plant, until about 5 leaves are showing. The corn must not have competition from surrounding weeds. Period. It needs to devote its attention to building roots.

More than you wanted to know, but it is something many first time corn growers don’t realize.

Paul