Many people will be pleasantly surprised when they visit their fall planted clover plots this spring. These fields have had a few months time to grow an impressive root system and will jump out of the ground this spring when ground temperatures start to warm up. The key to keeping these perennial plots for multiple years is maintenance. This includes spraying perennial fields containing clovers, alfalfas, chicory, with grass selective herbicides. Herbicide applications on grasses and weeds are much more effective when the target weeds are young and in a thriving and growing stage. Keeping an eye on your plots and spraying early when weeds are 2-6 inches tall will yield a much better kill.
Checklist for applying grass specific herbicides:
1. Make sure to use surfactant or crop oil, grass specific herbicides don’t work well without them.
2. Apply when UV light is low (cloudy days) and air temperature is above 70 degrees.
3. Target weeds are actively growing and not in a stressed period such as drought.
4. If you are using hard water for tank mixing, use a water conditioner or acidifier to improve herbicide effectiveness.
Getting weeds under control early before they have a chance to negatively affect your plots can have multiple benefits. Check out the line of sprayers than Chapin Outfitters has put together for all your spraying gear this spring and summer.
This tip is courtesy of the Wildlife Obsession Newsletter, a weekly wildlife and land management email newsletter produced by the Mossy Oak GameKeepers.
