Picloram

Woody stem plants, especially unwanted ones on a landscape, can be tough to control by mechanical or manual means. An effective herbicide that can deal with woody-stemmed vegetation is an active ingredient called Picloram. Picloram is great in foliage and forestry areas and is regarded as one of the most popular herbicides used by forest management professionals in the United States.

Solutions Pest & Lawn has some great herbicide products that contain the active ingredient Picloram. We regularly suggest this product to our customers who want to control woody stem plants and remove broadleaf weeds. On this page, we will share background info about picloram, its mode of action, and its benefits. 

What is Picloram?

Picloram is a systemic herbicide that functions as a plant growth regulator to control established and woody plants in agricultural settings and industrial sites. It is applied primarily on pasture and rangeland, followed by forestry areas.

Picloram is formulated either as an acid or as a potassium salt. The active ingredient can be applied via broadcast or spot treatment directly to plant foliage or in the soil. It can also be used as a basal bark spray treatment. Picloram has been manufactured alone or in a mixture with other active ingredients such as 2,4-D, Fluroxypyr, Triclopyr, Clopyralid, or combinations.

How Does Picloram Work?

Mode of Action

Picloram poisons plants by mimicking the essential plant growth hormone indoleacetic acid. This interferes with protein synthesis in the targeted weed, making it unable to create new tissues. This leads to the plant's abnormally rapid growth, which results in death.

Picloram can be sprayed on foliage, injected into plants, applied to cut surfaces, or placed at the base of the plant, where it will leach to the roots. It is systemic, meaning that once the active ingredient is absorbed by the foliage, stem, or roots, it is transported throughout the plant.

Benefits of Picloram

Picloram does a great job controlling invasive brush and weeds that are too much work to address via mowing or other mechanical methods. It works systemically, so it will go down to the root to kill the entire plant and eliminate the chances of regrowth.

Use Picloram to control weeds beneath electrical powerlines, along railroad tracks, roadsides, pipelines, commercial forestry, and wildlife grazing sites.

Drawbacks of Picloram

Most Picloram products are restricted-use products, and purchasing a product containing the active ingredient requires a certified applicator's license. 

Do not use Picloram on residential sites or near ornamental trees and shrubs. This product can kill any woody plant it comes into contact with, so you must be careful where you apply it so that only targeted weeds come into contact with the active ingredient.

Is Picloram Safe?

Picloram is safe to use when applied according to label directions. It is a restricted herbicide that requires a license to purchase and must not be applied directly to water. Depending on the type of soil, soil moisture, and temperature, Picloram can stay active in the soil for a moderately long time, so a site assessment is necessary before using a Picloram product.

Please wear PPE (personal protective equipment) before mixing and applying Picloram-based products. This includes protective eyewear, gloves, long-sleeved clothing, and a safety mask.

What To Expect

After application, Picloram works like a plant growth regulator, entering the weed through the leaves and stems and using the plant’s own transportation system to systemically travel to the weed's roots and leaves. It induces the weed to grow faster than normal, which disrupts the plant's food production and causes the plant to die from lack of nutrients. This process can take anywhere from a week to a month to kill the weed totally. 

Stay off the treated area until the product has completely dried.

Featured Products

Picloram 22K Herbicide—Picloram 22K Herbicide from Alligare is a picloram-based weed killer used especially to kill Japanese knotweed, spray brush, and control prickly pear cactus in range and pasture lands. It can also kill trees and other brush. This herbicide requires an applicator permit license to purchase. 

Picloram P+D—Picloram P+D by Alligare LLC is a weed killer for controlling undesirable vegetation in established turf, pastures, and rangelands. It is the best weed killer for large fields and pastures. It is very popular as a farm herbicide and has been around for a long time. It is a generic version of herbicides like Graze On, Grazeon, and Grazon Extra. It is a restricted-use pesticide.