By: Allan McGinty, Professor and Extenson Range Specialist; Darrell Ueckert, Regents Fellow and Professor, Rangeland Ecology and Management, Texas AgriLife Research, The Texas A&M University System
Two safe, effective, three-step ways to control many woody plants
Individual Plant Treatment Series
Woody plants are a common component of most Texas rangelands. Some woody species provide food for livestock or wildlife, warmth and escape cover for deer, roost sites for turkeys, or resting cover for quail.
However, if an area is too dense with woody plants, the plants compete with the more desirable vegetation for water, sunlight, and nutrients. They also can reduce forage production for livestock and wildlife and can interfere with the handling and movement of livestock and wildlife harvests.
Most species of woody plants resprout profusely from belowground crowns or roots if the aboveground growth is damaged or removed. Because these sprouts grow very rapidly, removing the aboveground growth of these plants with pruning shears, chain saws, axes, hydraulic shears, shredding, fire, etc., often intensifies woody plant problems.
A high percentage of these plants can be killed, however, if you spray the stump with a specific herbicide treatment immediately after cutting it.
Here are two three-step ways to control many species of woody plants using cut stump spray treatments that are easy, effective, and environmentally responsible. These Brush Busters methods involve spraying a small but potent concentration of herbicide directly onto the cut stumps.
Using these methods, you will be able to selectively kill the unwanted woody plants with little or no damage to the desirable vegetation. After the treatment, you may leave the cut stems and branches on the soil as mulch, stack and burn them, or haul them away.
Keep in mind that controlling woody plants is not a onetime job. Because livestock, wildlife, wind, and water can spread the seeds far, you will need to go over your land periodically to eliminate unwanted seedlings.
Professionals with Texas AgriLife Research and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service have developed, tested, and approved the cut stump method for general woody plant control. Although your results may vary, you should be able to kill about nine of every ten plants you treat.
Brush Busters recommends two different herbicide sprays for cut stump applications, depending on the species treated. One spray is for many species of hardwoods, the other is for redberry cedar.
Brush Busters Cut Stump Spray for Hardwood Species
Works Best: On algerita (agarito), baccharis, blackbrush, bois d’arc, bumelia, catclaw acacia, catclaw mimosa, Chinese tallowtree, elm, hackberry, huisache, lotebush (bluethorn), mesquite, all oaks, pricklyash (Hercules’-club), saltcedar, Texas persimmon, winged elm, and yaupon. (Note: Although specific cut stump data is not available on all the species above, the plants all can be controlled with basal stem applications of Remedy™, which indicates that the stumps are also susceptible to this same herbicide.)
When to Apply: Any time of the year, although the best results occur during the spring-summer growing season.
1.) Prepare the Equipment
Remove the top growth using pruning shears, a sharp ax, chain saw, hydraulic shears, etc.
Apply the herbicide spray with a pump-up garden sprayer, backpack sprayer or sprayer mounted on a four-wheeldrive all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or hydraulic shears.
To make sure that you cover the stump adequately when using a sprayer attached to hydraulic shears (skid/steer loader), use an adjustable cone nozzle with a relatively large orifice (such as a ConeJet™ 5500-X12 nozzle). For hand-held spray guns, an adjustable cone nozzle with a small orifice nozzle (such as a ConeJet™ 5500-X1 or X3) is recommended.
2.) Mix the Herbicide with Diesel or Vegetable Oil
A mixture of Remedy™ herbicide and diesel fuel oil or vegetable oil is recommended. Diesel fuel oil and vegetable oil act as coating agents and penetrants to ensure good coverage and absorption of the herbicide. The recommended mixture is 15 percent Remedy™ and 85 percent diesel fuel oil or vegetable oil (see mixing table below). Using vegetable oil instead of diesel fuel oil increases the cost but may be desirable in some situations. One vegetable oil known to mix well with Remedy™ is JLB Oil Plus™.
For those who wish to avoid the work or mess of mixing Remedy™ with oil, a “pre-mix” of Remedy™ and vegetable oil is available. This pre-mix is called Remedy RTU™. To use this product, pour Remedy RTU™ from the container into the sprayer and apply it to cut stumps following the Brush Busters directions.
When mixing Remedy™ with diesel fuel oil or vegetable oil, pour the required amount of Remedy™ into a mixing container or spray tank, then bring to the total volume desired with diesel fuel oil or vegetable oil. Vigorously shake or agitate it to ensure thorough mixing. One ounce of Hi-Light™ blue spray-marking dye can be added for each gallon of spray mix or to each gallon of Remedy RTU™ to help identify treated plants.
3.) Cut and Spray the Stump
Cut every stem of the plant as close as possible to the soil surface, but not below the soil surface. Avoid leaving soil on the cut surface.
Spray the stump immediately after cutting it. Adjust the spray nozzle so that it delivers a coarse mist in a coneshaped pattern. Hold the spray wand so that the nozzle is within 1 or 2 inches of the stump, and spray the entire cut surface until it is wet, especially the outer edges. Spray the sides of the stump and root collar almost to the point of runoff.
If you use a spray system attached to hydraulic shears, position the spray nozzle directly over the cut stump high enough to ensure that all of the stump is within the spray pattern. Using the dye as an indicator, spray the entire cut surface of the stump almost to the point of runoff.
Keep these points in mind:
- Follow the directions on the herbicide label.
- The cost of treatment escalates rapidly as the number of woody plants and stems per acre increases.
- This method is best for plants with a single stem or a few basal (growing from the base) stems.
- Before spraying, brush any soil off the cut stump surfaces.
- Do not spray when the basal stems are wet.
- To reduce resprouting, thoroughly spray the cut surface as well as the bark from the cut to ground level.
Brush Busters Cut Stump Spray for Redberry Cedar
Works Best: On redberry cedar (juniper). You do not need to spray the stumps with herbicide to kill blueberry cedar (Ashe juniper) or eastern red cedar.
When to Apply: Any time of the year, although best results occur during the spring-summer growing season.
1.) Prepare the Equipment
You can remove the top growth with pruning shears, a sharp ax, chain saw, hydraulic shears, etc.
Apply the herbicide spray with a pump-up garden sprayer, backpack sprayer, sprayer mounted on fourwheel all-terrain vehicles (ATV), or hydraulic shears.
To ensure that you cover the stump adequately when using a spray system attached directly to hydraulic shears (skid/steer loader), use an adjustable cone nozzle with a relatively large orifice (such as the ConeJet™ 5500-X12). For hand-held spray guns, an adjustable cone nozzle with a small orifice nozzle (such as the ConeJet™ 5500-X1 or X3) is recommended.
2.) Mix the Herbicide with Water
A mixture of Tordon 22K™ herbicide and water is recommended for redberry cedar. To ensure that you coat the cut stump thoroughly and that the herbicide is absorbed adequately, add either liquid dishwashing detergent or a non-ionic surfactant to the spray mix (see mixing table). It may be helpful to add a spray-marking dye such as HiLight™ Blue Dye to mark the stumps that have been sprayed.
When mixing, add half the desired quantity of water to the spray tank. Then add the Tordon 22K™, the surfactant and the dye to the tank. Finally, using water under pressure to agitate and mix the spray mix, fill the tank to the final volume.
3.) Cut and Spray the Stump
Cut the redberry cedar stems as close to the soil surface as possible, but not below the soil surface. Avoid leaving soil on the cut surface.
Spray the stumps immediately after cutting them. Adjust the spray nozzle so that it delivers a coarse mist in a cone-shaped pattern. Hold the spray wand so that the nozzle is within 1 or 2 inches of the stump. Spray the entire cut surface to wet, especially the outer edges. Spray the sides of the stump and root collar also, almost to the point of runoff.
When using a spray nozzle attached to hydraulic shears, position the nozzle directly over the cut stumps at a height at which all of the stump is within the spray pattern. Using the dye as an indicator, spray the entire cut surface of the stump almost to the point of runoff.
Keep these points in mind:
- Follow the herbicide label directions.
- The cost of treatment escalates rapidly as the number of redberry cedar plants or stems per acre increases.
- This method is best for plants with a few basal stems. (Note: Redberry juniper never has single basal stems.)
- Do not spray when the basal stems are wet.
- Before spraying, brush any soil off the cut stump surfaces.
- After mixing the herbicide with water, shake or agitate the solution vigorously.
- To reduce resprouting, thoroughly spray the cut surface as well as the bark from the cut to ground level.
The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Texas AgriLife Extension or Texas AgriLife Research is implied.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
AgriLifeExtension.tamu.edu
More Extension publications can be found at AgriLifeBookstore.org
Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin.
The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.
Produced by Texas A&M AgriLife Communications
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