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Knawel (or German Moss) - Scleranthus annuus
Here are a few pictures to show what this weed looks like...
show the photos. This weed is very difficult to control with typical herbicides. I sometimes becomes established over the winter and then is difficult to control with herbicides like Goal or Cobra. One manager growing eastern white pine (2-0) applied Escort at one-tenth of an ounce of product per acre (0.1 oz/a) and obtained good control of knawel.
Alligator weed - Alternanthera philoxeroides
Here are a few pictures to show what this weed looks like...the photos. One manager growing loblolly pine applied Escort at two-tenths of an ounce of product per acre (0.2 oz/a) and obtained good control of alligator weed and pigweed.
PERMETHRIN SPRAY RIG
Here are a few pictures to show the rig and how the sprayers are attached. We spray at 100 gallons/acre, but that is only one direction. We calibrate the rig at 100 gal/acre but then spray each bed twice, at half strength each time for a total of 200 gal/acre. We separate these sprays by going through a whole section and then after they have dried a little we do the second spray on each bed, usually in the opposite direction of the first spray. We are usually spraying at about 32 psi and run around 4 mph. We use XR8002VS Tee Jet spray tips and it takes 16, two for each drill row. The boom has two lines coming from the tank that hook into each end of the rig so that pressure is more equalized across the boom. The whole thing is mounted so that you can adjust the height that you are spraying by just sliding the unit up and down. From our experience, we get excellent coverage of the seedlings and I have had no complaints about weevils bothering treated seedlings. Anyone spraying over the top of seedlings through their regular booms, even if they use something to bend the seedlings over, is simply not getting a good job done. I know some folks are doing this and if weevils are bad their lack of thorough coverage creates problems.
GOALTENDER EFFECTS ON HARDWOODS
In early June, GoalTender was applied over the top of various hardwoods and then irrigation was quickly applied to wash the herbicide off the
foliage. The herbicide rate was 4 oz of product per acre and was applied on or about June 13. The following photos (taken on June 16) compare treated with untreated seedlings. In general, the oaks were relatively tolerant of the treatment while injury was greatest on Siberian crabapple. Yellow poplar
was also injured by this treatment. View Photos.
We understand that one manager applies GoalTender directed (under the foliage) using a Permethrin spray Rig (see above). He said "I am liking Goal Tender better now that I had a brainstorm and started applying it with my "Pounce" sprayer that has the drops and doesn't get much on the tender upper portion of the seedlings. I don't even have to get water on it right away (or during)."
1-2 PUNCH FOR MORNINGGLORY
A nursery manager reported better control of morningglory when Goal 2XL was applied after a Stinger application. Stinger (clopyralid) was applied at
6 oz of product per acre on June 9th and this was followed 4 days later by an application of Goal 2XL at 16 oz of product per acre (on June 13th).
Morningglory were dying by June 17th. Poor control of moringglory was noticed where only Goal 2XL was applied. Apparently, the clopyralid application
"pre-conditioned" the weed thus making the Goal 2XL application more effective.
SAWDUST APPLICATION
Several people were impressed with the MeadWestvaco method of mulch application (July 2004). Here is a PowerPoint presentation of the
New Holland Gehl Scavenger.
ENVOY ON GOOSEGRASS
Most of the time, Vantage or Fusilade does a good job of controlling grasses. However, some grasses are somewhat resistant to these herbicides. At one nursery, Envoy did a much better job of controlling goosegrass.
SPRAY PATTERN INDICATOR
Steve Cantrell reports good results by adding a blue dye to the pre-emergence spray. The brand he uses is BullsEye® Spray Pattern Indicator. This helps to identify beds that have already been treated and also helps workers pick up on plugged nozzles or unwanted overlap.
REFLEX ON NUTSEDGE
Warren Bryant reports some success in suppressing nutsedge with multiple spot applications of Reflex applied postemergence.
These nutsedge plants were treated on July 7th and again on September 6th. Although not black in October,
the nuts show some signs of herbicide injury.
INJURY TO YOUNG PINE GERMINANTS
Reflex has been used at many sandy nurseries with good results. Both pre-emergence and post-emergence applications have been used with little or no injury. However, there is a danger of using Reflex on fine-textured soils. We assume that leaching is not as rapid on these soils and injury has been observed at state nurseries in Louisiana and Arkansas. Therefore, nursery managers who manage fine-textured soils may choose to limit their use of this herbicide to post-emergence applications only.
There is also a danger of using on sandy nurseries in years when there is little rain after sowing. In 2002, one nursery experienced injury with
Reflex when applied at 1 quart per acre. The sprayer had some overlap and seedlings died in drills that received a double-spray. Rainfall was below average and the Reflex remained in the seed zone longer than expected.
Asana XL contains <3% xylene and <1% ethylbenzene. When applied on hot days, Asana XL has caused some brown needles on newly emerged pine seedlings. It is best to wait till enough wax has developed before applying Asana XL to very young pine seedlings.
TOLERANCE OF HARDWOODS TO STINGER
As expected, legumes (Black Locust and Red Bud) are injured when using clopyralid. Thomas Frazier has also seen some injury on Black Alder, Hackberry,
and White Dogwood. In contrast, the following hardwoods showed no injury when growing on a high organic matter soil (4.5% to 5%). Results at other nurseries may differ. Yellow Poplar, White Ash, River Birch, Button Bush, Red Osier, Witch Hazel, Persimmon, Cypress, Common Apple, Crab Apple, Indigo Bush, Blackgum Cherry, Gray Dogwood, Silky Dogwood, Green Ash, White Oak, Sugar Maple, Red Maple, Scots Pine, White Pine, Red Cedar, Black Walnut, Chestnut, Overcup Oak, Northern Red Oak, Chinkapin Sawtooth Oak, Willow Oak, Bear Oak, Swamp Chestnut Oak, Hazelnut, Sycamore, Water Oak.