What implement works best for controlling weeds, foxtails.

[cat fever]

That is so funny :laughing: I had to do the same thing you did with the goat heads, after it rained I would go out with a trash can, dust pan, and knee pads, pull the goat head plant out by hand then sweep all the stickers from under the plant, and I did this with five acres. I could not believe how many stickers were under each plant that I pulled up, thousands. I had to change all my tires to the thickest ply I could find because of flats.

You are correct about mowing foxtails close to the ground, all they do is seed close to the ground.

I was looking at spring tooth harrows like the one Jeff9366 posted but don't see any small ones with wheels like you have. My tractor has 32hp. and the rear tires are loaded with rim guard.

How do I work a slope safely, can I use a spring tooth harrow on a slope, or do I risk a mud slide when winter hits.View attachment 508966View attachment 508967

Thanks for all the great ideas guys. Really helping a lot.:thumbsup:

No kidding here; in some areas where they were real thick, we took the shop vac out and sucked up all the seed/goatheads. I'm sure the neighbors thought I'd lost my mind. :confused3: Goatheads are the most evil plant in the world.:banghead:

 

[jeff9366]

Three more Tool Bar Cultivators , which can be equipped with spring tines, cultivating shovels, or other interchangeable ground contact attachments.

BUCKEYE TRACTOR CO: Buckeye Tractor Online Catalog Page 11-02 Toolbar Cultivators

WOODWARD CROSSING: 3 Pt. Hitch, Toolbar, Cultivators, Sweeps, S-Tines, Disc Hillers, & More!

UNVERFERTH 'PERFECTA': https://media.unverferth.com/unverferth/tillage/perfecta-field-cultivator.pdf


SHOVELS, SWEEPS AND POINTS FOR CULTIVATORS: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/360864-ferguson-sweeps-shovels.html

 

[fishwhiz]

Once you get to the stage of killing off the new sprouts and can't burn, try your spray rig. If you squirm at roundup, give vinegar a try. After one wades through the garbage hobbyists sites, this comes up as a qualified discussion out of Wyoming for vinegar vs roundup weed control They mention salt, but I'd steer clear of that in most soils. Remember, this is for new sprouts. For established plants, a stronger herbicide than vinegar is required.

 

[Texasmark]

I see your rototiller in the picture. I just bought one in March. I haven't worked my hay patch for several years and really worked it over this year with 1. Hay King Pasture Renovator which is a subsoiler that cut the soil down to about 10"; 2. Then was the rolling disc version of the moldboard plow (moldboards get gummed up in black clay), then the 3. Offset plow, then 4. The disc Harrow, 5. Then the roto tiller, 6. Then the fertilizer spreader, 7. then the spike toothed harrow, 8. Then the grain drill, 9. And then the packer........this all took a couple of weeks.

Then the rains came on time for a change and in about a week heads started showing up. Not the sudan-sorghum seeds I planted initially, but Foxtail and Yellow Nutsedge.

You ainta gonna kill either with steel. Takes chemicals and considering the trillions of seeds a field of either generates, pre emergent (which I never used....too lazy I guess) every year would be necessary.

After pushing 40 years of attempting (futile) to rid my fields of such, that's my humble opinion.

 

[Catman8]

You ainta gonna kill either with steel. Takes chemicals and considering the trillions of seeds a field of either generates, pre emergent (which I never used....too lazy I guess) every year would be necessary.

After pushing 40 years of attempting (futile) to rid my fields of such, that's my humble opinion.

Thank you for your insight, I'm starting to understand that there are million of seeds and they will lie dormant for years, neighbor across the street has been spraying for years and still can't stop the weeds. At this point my main goal is to turn the weeds over before they seed, once I have more time in my life to grow a crop I will try that, but my only objective right now is finding an implement that will tear out the weeds before they have a chance to produce those nasty foxtails that get stuck in everything, an implement that I can use that's a faster pace than tilling. Sounds like the consensus is tilling below 10" first then using a cultivator over the top before they turn green or sprout.

 

[IslandTractor]

Thank you for your insight, I'm starting to understand that there are million of seeds and they will lie dormant for years, neighbor across the street has been spraying for years and still can't stop the weeds. At this point my main goal is to turn the weeds over before they seed, once I have more time in my life to grow a crop I will try that, but my only objective right now is finding an implement that will tear out the weeds before they have a chance to produce those nasty foxtails that get stuck in everything, an implement that I can use that's a faster pace than tilling. Sounds like the consensus is tilling below 10" first then using a cultivator over the top before they turn green or sprout.

Probably less effort and cost overall to simply mow twice as often and mow low. Again, I have no experience with foxglove but that strategy works for most weeds.

 

[Catman8]

Probably less effort and cost overall to simply mow twice as often and mow low. Again, I have no experience with foxglove but that strategy works for most weeds.

I wish I could mow low, but unfortunately it is an uneven field with rodents that burrow the ground and make mounds of dirt and the foxtails start seeding right out of the ground, I've tried it with my flail mower and all I'm doing is mowing mounds of dirt from the rodents, and the flail mower is not designed for mowing dirt. So my only option is turning the dirt over before they go to seed.

 

[Dadnatron]

Mow... Mow... Mow...

Foxtails are an annual which requires replenishing the ground seed stock via new seed each year. While there will be ungerminated seed from previous years, if you prevent seed heads, this will eventually decrease significantly.

However, you are saying that the 'normal flora' of the area is foxtails, but you don't want to kill them off? You also say that other grasses are unlikely to grow because you can't water it. You might be stuck, because, unless you are willing to spray it then plant an alternative. Even if you mow before seed head, SOMETHING will end up taking its place, and will have to be able to survive your climate.

 

[jeff9366]

I speculate that a coil-spring protected Field Cultivator would destroy rodent burrows with one pass. After two or three burrow destruction experiences rodents will probably seek a safer site.

I trust your house is a good distance from the field with this rodent infestation~~~~~~

( I do not have ground burrowing rodents in Florida.)

 

[jeff9366]

Sounds like the consensus is tilling below 10" first then using a cultivator over the top before they turn green or sprout.

Perhaps better: Till as deep as you reasonably can to disturb 9" deep rooted PERENNIAL weeds, then drag field with your Chain Harrow set in it most abrasive iteration once per week, NEVER missing a week during the ANNUAL weed growing season, to kill visible and invisible freshly germinated seeds before seedlings green up.

After Chain Harrow drag season ends sow some type of desirable cover crop, perhaps ANNUAL wild flowers, to compete with noxious weeds. There are many specialized wild flower blends for California.

Unintended consequence: A very smooth field.


If you are in heat for an additional implement I recommend either a coil-spring protected Field Cultivator or some type of S-tine cultivator. S-tine Cultivators come in many variations of robustness with many variations in tips. I cannot speculate which of the two, Field Cultivaor or S-tine Cultivator, is optimal.

Field Cultivator is more robust. Field Cultivator is for ripping = deep soil penetration. Field Cultivator does NOT cover 100% by design.
S-tine Cultivators do not penetrate like coil-spring Field Cultivators but many cover 100% of soil surface behind your tractor.

Sizing to your tractor may be tricky. Check with venders. Cross-check here.


Personally, I would apply pre-emergent, germination inhibiting, herbicide in late Winter and a second time in early Spring.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I wish I could mow low, but unfortunately it is an uneven field with rodents that burrow the ground and make mounds of dirt and the foxtails start seeding right out of the ground, I've tried it with my flail mower and all I'm doing is mowing mounds of dirt from the rodents, and the flail mower is not designed for mowing dirt. So my only option is turning the dirt over before they go to seed.

If you mow enough you will level it out and if you really want it gone you just as well figure on spraying with some chemicals.

 

[cat fever]

I speculate that a coil-spring protected Field Cultivator would destroy rodent burrows with one pass. After two or three burrow destruction experiences rodents will probably seek a safer site.

I trust your house is a good distance from the field with this rodent infestation~~~~~~

( I do not have ground burrowing rodents in Florida.)

Speaking of the rodents; in my area specifically Pocket Gophers. My field has been ripped up every year since I've lived there. (20 years) they have not tired of having their tunnels destroyed. They just start rototilling the tunnel out. I have traps that go in the tunnel and work pretty good, but if the whole community doesn't help out it like dealing with the BORG. "Resistance is futile" I trap some when I'm not growing, the cat really likes them.:licking:

 

[Egon]

Speaking of the rodents; in my area specifically Pocket Gophers. My field has been ripped up every year since I've lived there. (20 years) they have not tired of having their tunnels destroyed. They just start rototilling the tunnel out. I have traps that go in the tunnel and work pretty good, but if the whole community doesn't help out it like dealing with the BORG. "Resistance is futile" I trap some when I'm not growing, the cat really likes them.:licking:

Remove the food source and them varmits will go elsewhere.

 

[Catman8]

I was trying to determine what size cultivator to buy for my tractor and was given this response when I was questioning why they were recommending a 15 to 25 hp cultivator for my 32hp rated engine. I found the response interesting so I thought I would share it.


In the beginning, tractors were rated by drawbar HP and belt HP, so tractors 100 years ago were labelled a 12-20 for example. The belt HP was the higher number.

As the use of a belt to power stationary equipment died out and PTO driven implements came into vogue (roughly by the 1930's), tractors had engine, PTO and drawbar HP specifications. The drawbar HP was the true pulling power, but it was also the lowest number and sales departments largely opted to use PTO HP numbers to promote tractors.

You could say the PTO number is a "middle of the road" number but it was also not honorable 90, 80 or 70 years ago to sell tractors by engine HP since* there were a multitude of tractor makers and many of theme were fleecing the public with low prices and inflated or unproven claims on performance. Then Nebraska University started the Nebraska Tractor Tests to test every tractor so by mid-century, a test report was largely expected by the buying public for every new tractor model made.

At the Nebraska Tractor Test Lab, engine HP is tested but then weight is added to the tractor to maximize traction for pulling power. The ability of the tractor pull under maximum load is tested at this point.

Without sufficient tractor weight, tractors pull less (more wheel slippage). Engine HP alone does not take tractor weight into account. There is natural loss of power through the drivetrain, which the difference between the engine HP and drawbar HP measures the loss. The PTO HP number is typically bigger than drawbar HP since there is less drivetrain power loss through the PTO.

Through the second half of last century, sales literature mostly listed the PTO HP first to differentiate the power between different models.

Then -- by the end of the century, tractor makers were largely again selling tractor by engine HP. The model number systems also often reflected the engine HP. Unlike their grandfathers, new, younger tractor buyers are increasing becoming unfamiliar with this science of tractor power and traction.

Regarding tillage implements, since tractors were so long measured by PTO HP, power requirements of tillage implements tended to also be measured the same way. Perhaps now the implement specs need to be converted to engine HP -- BUT this is hardly universal knowledge at this point, so I'll rebut the point that "pulled implements were rated (or have been rated) by engine HP".

In the end, pulled implements can't be rated by engine HP. If the tractor doesn't weight enough, it doesn't matter how big the engine is - the wheels will just spin. The industry will have to work through this self-imposed "knowledge gap" on tractor power.

Shame on the tractor makers for selling tractors by engine HP.

Mike

Buckeye Tractor Co.
P. O. Box 97
11313 Slabtown Road
Columbus Grove, OH 45830

 

[cat fever]

I would agree with everything you wrote. My tractor weighs 8000 pounds and when I pull the spring tooth harrow or disc harrow I use four wheel drive. It will pull in two wheel drive but the tires are always spinning. Putting rim guard or similar might take care of that. But that's a thousand dollars away.:laughing:

 

[Catman8]

I would agree with everything you wrote. My tractor weighs 8000 pounds and when I pull the spring tooth harrow or disc harrow I use four wheel drive. It will pull in two wheel drive but the tires are always spinning. Putting rim guard or similar might take care of that. But that's a thousand dollars away.:laughing:

Just want to clarify I did not write the above letter, Mike from Buckeye tractors wrote it, I hardly have the experience to be giving anyone advice on tractors or implements.

I do have rim guard in my tires so that should help out. From the letter above I now need to rethink my implement purchases from what they are giving as hp ratings, talk about confusing.

 

[kid tulocay]

Those foxtails and weeds are probably non-native. You might kill them (chemical, plow, frequent mowing, etc.) and plant native bunch grasses, sedges, and coyote brush. There are species of these that seem to grow on no water at all and stay green all summer.

 

[Catman8]

I am looking to purchase one of these two models of Field Cultivators to control the weeds from growing, the yellow one is a Gearmore built out of Chino California and the other is a UnverFerth - Perfecta built out of Kalida, OH. I will be purchasing the 5' wide model, pictures below are stock photos. Does anyone have any first hand feedback on these units, or any suggestions on the style of S-Tines to choose, there appears to be three different styles of tines and three or four kinds of tips. If you own this style of implement please share your operating experience or tine selection. Thanks

 

[Dadnatron]

The weeds will always grow unless you have something else growing there. Make sure you have a plan in place. I grew up using a 12' S tine field cultivator with sweeps. It did a fine job, but we were planting into the tilled soil each year. You can't use it every year and expect 'good' grasses to establish. Every time you run that through your soil, you will kill BOTH weeds and grass. And the weeds are more resilient.

 

[jeff9366]

You ainta gonna kill either with steel. Takes chemicals and considering the trillions of seeds a field of either generates, pre emergent every year would be necessary.

The STEEL under consideration by the OP in Post #78 may do it.

OP will still need to grow something else to prevent noxious weeds from taking over again.

<$3,000 for the train of Gearmore implements OP is contemplating.

I will never tell your Wife.



GEARMORE GSC6: http://www.gearmore.com/gearmore/do...l_Conditioners/BL0015-08_Soil_Conditioner.pdf
http://www.gearmore.com/gearmore/files/SoilCond_GSC.pdf