Field Horse Tails - Advice Appreciated

@Mowerman they only get the waxy coating as they mature, so spraying them before they open is much more effective.

 

I have this stuff !! My side garden is FULL as it is un-cared for BUT not it has spread to my Sandstone patio/raised beds and i spotted a few shoots now appearing in my block driveway !!

I always use Rosate36 (glyphosphate 360g/l) watered down for little weed ets....

Is there anything i can do to just spray it for now ? A strong Rosate mix plus a mix of SBK Brushwood killer (triclopyr) and a touch washing up liquid as a wetting agent ??

I have also just stumbled across this -
Progreen kurtail-gold (Glufosinate-ammonium)

I ALSO know my father has a large tin of Sodium Chlorate from YEARS ago (yes i know it's know banned in EU due to 'bomb making')

Any help much appreciated.

Cheers

 

Kurtail is very effective against this plant, no need to bruise the plant.
Worth noting that if you have hard water this effects herbicides and there are additives to help achieve its max potential.
Word of warning it’s fine on ground that bares no growth ie pavements but care should be taken if it’s used round plants.
In gardens that I’ve had this in I’ve just priced in extra time to tackle it and some I can’t use a herbicide so it’s a case of slowly picking away with the customer understanding that eradication is never guaranteed.

 

I was interested in your point about there being additives to help herbicides achieve maximum potential. Some are referred to as activators, but only appear to be available in quite large quantities £30+ per bottle. I have been clearing large areas of ivy with glysophate, including over 6' walls. My understanding is that these chemicals also help to prevent run-off on plants with shiny surfaces. They also help with speed of effectiveness.

Are we speaking about the same chemicals, please?

 

Depends on the manufacturer. I use Roundup Pro and that’s all I need as it’s effective and over the last few years it’s makeup has changed insuring it’s effective when used at the right time and in the correct conditions.
It’s a bit more expensive than some but if you want to start adding other chemicals to a basic total weed killer it then becomes just as expensive plus you have other chemicals that must be stored correctly.
There are lots of various additives but run off is avoided if you use the right spray tip so that you are basically applying a fine amount. Ideally you want droplets to form, too much and it then creates run off.
This can be seen in drift where a fine mist hits a plant that’s not a targeted plant resulting in its demise.
The whole idea is that you use it when the plant is in full growth and you have a nice calm day and ideally not in full baking sun light if possible. Correct spray equipment, mix and conditions equals less chemical usage which is good for the environment.

 

That is helpful - thank you. I follow the point about a mist coat - less likely to run off. Agrichem do an 'activator'. I may explore that a little further. I'll have another look at Roundup Pro. I have a built-in resentment of the Roundup range. In garden centre quantities they always seem horrendously expensive.

Thank you.

 

This is where you need to understand it’s coverage Mervyn.
5lts can cover 6 acres depending on delivery system which is why I spotted your other thread where you have an acre and went through 4ltrs.
These products are not for domestic users and can do real harm to the environment if used incorrectly.
Domestic products are what you need to look at.

 

I'm not quite sure where you get the 4ltrs from?

I don't think there is a fundamental difference - apart from strength - from the commercially available glysophate and that whereby Roundup rob the general public selling in small quantities? I've been using the commercial kind for many years in accordance with the manufacture's guidance. I understand the coverage issue. Indeed, am I not right that over-strong without effective coverage is simply throwing money away, quite apart from environmental issues.

Recently I've been clearing very large areas of ivy. That usually needs two applications, and sometimes needs to be dealt with progressively. If you have a stone wall up to 2 metres high and many metres long, thoroughly covered in ivy, it does take a good amount of weed killer. Large parts of my garden are in a semi wild state. One consequence is that some 'wild' plants can become rife, and periodically need major attention. Not a job for domestic products, I think. Quite apart from the cost of that, I think I would simply have to buy more and more to do the same job. That certainly would not be environmentally friendly.