Mesquite Control: Mixing Used Motor Oil with Triclopyr (Remedy)?

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

I will try a machete next to see how it compares..

That's a good day's work in that heat!

I'm wondering if a Woodsman's Pal would be a good tool for that job. Short enough to be handy in those tangled bushes, and still pack a punch.

 

[ericm979]

I'ved used 20-25% Triclopyr in diesel on poison oak. Basal application on about a foot of stem kills them crispy dead in about a month. it doesn't take much. But Triclopyr works best on plants that are actively growing. When they're dormant other herbicides work better. I like the basal application because it uses much less herbicide than foliar application and there is less overspray. It works on plants whose leaves are grown far up into trees and are beyond the reach of the sprayer. But many bush form poison oak plants are too thick for me to get in and spray the stems, so I still use foiiar spray on them.

I found some UC Ag research documents that said to use 25% Triclopyr in diesel. If you make a mix of 1/4 64% Tricplopyr the resulting concentratinon is around 16%. It still seems to work well.

I have some mixed in a sprayer and also use it on cut stumps of species that resprout. We have a lot of those, pretty much all the decidious trees and brush do it and some like Eucalyptus are vigorous. It's been working well for that application too.

 

[CADplans]

That's a good day's work in that heat!

I'm wondering if a Woodsman's Pal would be a good tool for that job. Short enough to be handy in those tangled bushes, and still pack a punch.

Rather than a machete,, could you use a weedeater with a brush blade?,, THAT will nick bark!! :thumbsup:

 

[tacboss]

For killing mesquite, I use a Monster Treesaw on my skidsteer to cut the trees off at the ground. Then spray the flush to ground cut stump with 1/4 remedy and diesel. Have had a great kill rate on those stubborn mesquite. I have been told, the diesel is slightly thinner and will absorb into the wood better than motor oil. Also use a Monster Cedar Puller to pull red berry cedar up, roots and all. No need for spraying cut stumps to prevent regrowth.

 

[0o0]

I decided to wait and see for a few weeks before continuing so I could see the results of my technique. I got over 50% complete top kill (hopefully killed the roots too!). Most of the mesquite that weren't totally top killed were the bush type with a dozen trunks where I did not poison every trunk.
In these situations some of the trunks were dead, but the others are still alive. Probably not enough poison got to the roots.

Going forward, I will keep the poison ratio no lower than 1:4. I think the trick with this is getting really low on the trunks which can be difficult when the mesquite has formed an 8ft wide spiky bush. I was only able to hit them at 2ft from the ground sometimes which I think is too high.
The ones that didn't die were mostly those I didn't hit near the ground.

The machete was lighter than the hatchet with a longer reach. It was easier to handle, but there is probably a higher risk of accidental injury. Both were just as effective at penetrating the top layer of bark.

The taller and larger mesquite that weren't bushes are nearly all dead because it was very easy to get to the trunk.
Definitely do not mow this stuff without killing it first or poisoning the stump! Nightmare to kill once the regrowth forms a bush.

I think if you can keep track of where the trees are the easiest way to deal with the mesquite is brush hog over them followed with stump poisoning. I am afraid I will miss some of the stumps and get a spike through my tire or shoe so I have avoided doing this so far.

Rather than a machete,, could you use a weedeater with a brush blade?,, THAT will nick bark!! :thumbsup:

That is a really good idea. Would help getting through the mesquite bushes too. I might try that.

 

[STERLING351]

I know this is a old thread. I was looking for a follow up. Did the trees die and not come back?

 

[Ezk2517]

I was reading this and we use way less Remedy than advertised here. We put just a couple ounces in a 2.5 gallon bucket with a pour nozzle and fill the rest with diesel and used motor oil if I have it. Pour directly on the base to make a small puddle. It kills them all. Back when I was a kid, all we used was straight diesel and it worked fine. Im curious if the mechanism killing them is really the remedy or the diesel. Ive never tried a hack method, though I have posioned stumps that were left behind by a mower. I like using the burnt lube because it gives the mix a dark color that is easier to spot when you are treating hundreds of small trees for hours on end.

 

[Liquidsilver]

I had so much scrub oak in 50 acres of my fields, I couldn't hack them all. So, I had to rent a 300 gallon broadcast sprayer, with a gas engine to power the spray. The Remedy mixed with water and surfactant cost me 1500 dollars (and that was several years ago, so it's probably double now) but it worked wonders for the fields. It just had to be sprayed when the leaves were fully green. In 2 weeks, the fields looked like 'autumn in July' as the scrub died.

 

[jyoutz]

The hack and squirt method with herbicide is an old tried and true method that’s relatively quick, and cheap because it minimizes the amount of herbicide needed compared to other application methods. I agree to stick with diesel instead of motor oil. Even a mix with water and a surfactant would work.