Range & Pastures Control: How to Get Rid of Weeds on Ranges and Pastures

Grazing livestock and growing crops on ranges and pastures is vital to the livelihood of farmers and those working in the agriculture industry. Weeds can appear on ranges and pastures for a number of reasons such as poor maintenance practices and stress from drought or weather conditions to name a few.

Broadleaf weeds and woody plants and brush can appear in ranges, pasturelands and similar agricultural settings and can be harmful to crops, livestock or humans. Common weeds like hard-to-kill cheatgrass and Japanese brome which can be an irritating eyesore and can interfere with production sucking up essential nutrients in the soil and grass which the cattle eat.

Controlling weeds on ranges and pastures is crucial because weeds can affect production of agricultural crops and livestock, hurting yields, which in turn hurts the economy. Weeds choke out desirable grasses and take moisture and valuable nutrients from the soil.

With the help of our DIY guide developed by professional experts, you can eliminate weeds from your range and pastures. Use the herbicide products we recommend below and follow according to our step-by-step instructions and you will successfully be free of weeds while saving money.

Identification

A weed on a range or pasture is any plant growing that is unwanted or a plant that has no redeeming agricultural value. There are several different categories of weeds that you may find on an agricultural land.

• Noxious weeds - a weed designated by an agricultural authority that is injurious to agricultural crops, natural habitats, ecosystems, humans of livestock
• Poisonous plants - Plants containing naturally occurring toxic compounds that when consumed by livestock can be harmful resulting in reduced performance or death.
• Native weeds - native plants that alter a landscape in a way that is undesirable in terms of aesthetics, habitat or ecosystem function.
• Exotic weeds- origin of weeds outside of North American. Often highly invasive and out compete native vegetation.

If you have a particular weed problem, please check out our library of broadleaf weeds, brush and trees to detect what specific issue you have on your range or pasture land and view our detailed guides and recommendations for control.

Inspection

Weeds in ranges and pasturelands can be quite easy to detect because they stand out amongst the desired grass for your grazing livestock. Most weeds that creep up in pastures and ranges are perennials or biennials so pastures must be dealt with early, but its important to first start with a detailed inspection of your pasture land to gauge what weeds have sprung up and how severe of an infestation you have on hand.

For minor infestations, you may be better with mechanical control or hand pulling, but with more serious outbreaks and weeds that have been well established, herbicides provide the best and most direct and complete control of invasive species.

Take a walk on your pasture from time to time and inspect whether any weeds are emerging. You will notice weed growth if there are any. By noticing weeds early, you have the opportunity to control them before it is too late, that is, before they mature, seeds are produced, and spread to infest larger area. Early control of weeds also saves time, money, and the environment in the long run.

Treatment

Once you have an idea of what weeds are on your pasture and how big of an issue you have, you can them move to treatment. Make sure before applying any chemicals that you first have on the necessary PPE ( (gloves, goggles, mask).

Our top recommendations for grazing crops is Pasturegard HL, Milestone or Triclopyr. These products carry a broad label and will kill just about any unwanted vegetation you see. So if you aren't sure of the specific weed your dealing with, these products should have you covered.

Step 1 - Prepare and Mix

Prepare a mix that is 1 percent PastureGard HL, Milestone or Triclopyr herbicide in water. (Check the label for mixing ratios for common sprayer types). These are great weed and shrub control herbicides for use in rangeland and permanent pasture. They both provide extended control of shrubs and broadleaf weed species.

Step 2 - Apply Product

Using a hand sprayer or backpack sprayer, simply spray the leaves of target plants until thoroughly wet, but not dripping.

Timing is essentially for best results. Herbicides work best when the weed is younger and actively growing. So it is important to know the weeds growth habits and reproductive cycle in order to properly time the application.

Prevention

Once weeds have been eliminated from your pasture or range land you need to make sure these weeds don't creep back up.

If the pasture had a weed problem last year, it likely will be there again this year. Regularly monitor look for small weeds hiding in the grass. Don't wait for the weeds to grow and flower before doing anything about them.

Weed control is effective for weeds but it will not solve soil fertility, pH, or compaction problems. It cannot fix poor grazing management either. These are separate issues that must be dealt with alongside weed control.

Key Takeaways

• There are a number of great herbicide products for pasture and range control. We recommend PastureGard, Triclopyr 4 and Milestone
• Follow up treatments may be necessary based on the severity of the weed problem.
• Reapply as necessary and monitor your lands with the expectation that you may have to apply herbicides every growing season.
• Using our products will save you a ton compared to competitors or hiring professionals because of our concentrate.