Brassica Issues

Got an issue, I Im pretty sure I know the answer but just wanted to see if there is anything that can be done.

Got weed issues in the brassica plots. Yes the brassicas are growing and coming in good… BUT I’ve got weeds pretty bad. Im pretty sure its Red Root Pigweed.

They are already taller than the brassicas. They are growing fast. I tried to pull them up but I spent an hour or so and only covered about 25 sq ft. The roots go deep.

Its not the end of the world, Just wanted to know if there is anything at all that could be done to get rid of these things. Dont want to let it go and let them seed all over the field and make things worse for next year.

thanks

Sorry to hear about the weed issues. I’m assuming this variety like other pigweed varieties is Roundup resistant?

At this point, I would say you’re right in that little can be done this year, the goal would be to minimize how much seed is spread.

I would study up on the spraying treatments both pre and post emergent for next season. I’d want to hit that plot HARD to terminate the pigweed before planting anything else. I know there are herbicides that do it, but all I recall is that they are growth-stage-specific.

Best of luck, hope you can knock it out.

Grouse

Agreed, at this time of the year you are hosed unless you want to kill the brassica. I certainly wouldn’t do that. I have a little pigweed coming up in mine also. Next year I am going to try Flexstar herbicide. I have giant ragweed, pigweed and water hemp I am dealing with. All are gly resistant. Red root also germinates very late in the year which is why it’s tough on brassica plots.

Next spring I am going to try Flexstar as a pre emergent on a couple plots and see if that can knock it out. You can also use as a post emergent mixed with gly for a total kill.

Rural king has it. It’s kind of spendy but if it works it will be well worth the money.
Flexstar

This stuff looks pretty good too and it has gly mixed right in with it. I need to see where I can find it though.

Flexstar GT

If its a small plot you could get a machete or other hand cutting tool and chop it so it wont seed out this year.

Thanks for the Thoughts guys.

I think I will take a sheer and cut off all the heads so it doesn’t seed this year just so things don’t get worse. Then I think Ill look into doing something else next year. Most of my plots have NEVER BEEN tilled until this year. So I can only imagine that I have TRILLIONS of seeds in the dirt.

Going to read up on the Flexstar.

I might just have to go all Roundup Ready corn and beans for a few years until I can get the weed seed numbers in check.

The late planted bean plots are probably the best thing I have this year. I planted these for late season but its Unbelievable the draw that they have created all year. They have taken a HUGE amount of browse. Averaging about 10-12 deer each night before I run out of light on my PLOTWATCHER PRO camera. So who knows what kind of numbers we are talking about using the plot during the night. They somehow are still are managing to put on alot of bean pods. So time will tell if it will have any drawing power in Late Nov. into December.

I planted my brassicas mid July and also have a lot of the Red root pigweed in it.
What I have seen in the past is the weeds die with the first frost.
The brassicas keep right on growing thru the end of November.
They don’t seem to suffer any being weedy.
It’s amazing how the brassicas stay green under the snow well in January.
So for me, it’s not a huge deal but next year will switch and plant RR corn/beans which I can spray and that seems to slow ’em down at least.

Thanks Haleysgold,

Ill chop the heads off and then let her go the rest of the year. The brassicas are coming in nice, it just bothers me to have a dirty field.