Weed Control
Weed Control
Weed of the Month: Nodding Thistle
Musk thistle plants typically germinate in the fall from seed and form a rosette. New plants can also germinate in the spring. The leaves are smooth (no hairs on the upper or lower leaf surface) with a prominent midvein. During May to early June, flower stalks begin to elongate, which can become 4 to 6 feet tall.
Tips for Controlling Weeds in Grass Pastures
Using good pasture management practices can help minimize weeds and unwanted plants in grass pastures and hayfields. To get the most quantity and quality from pastures, use management practices that encourage growth of a vigorous, dense stand of forage grasses and limit germination and growth of unwanted plants.
Controlling Tall Ironweed and Horsenettle: Mike Setters
This past year the Master Grazer Educational program conducted several demonstrations across KY for producers to see best management practices related to pasture management. One of these demonstrations was implemented in Lewis County by cow/calf producer Mike Setters.
Buttercups in Grazed Pastures
One of the signs that spring has arrived is when the yellow flowers of buttercup begin to appear, but it’s during the winter months that the vegetative growth of buttercup takes place. As a cool season weed, this plant often flourishes in over grazed pasture fields with poor stands of desirable forages.
Tall Ironweed Control in Grazed Pastures
Tall ironweed (Vernonia altissma Nutt.) is one of the more commonly found weeds in grazed pasture fields and other non-cropland areas (Figure 1). In Kentucky, tall ironweed is ranked as the most troublesome and third-most common weed found in grazed pastures.
