spraying with roundup, 2-4-D

[steamshovel]

I have been spraying for weeds on fence lines, ditches, etc. for years and now I am told I'm  using the wrong formula. I use 12 oz. of roundup and 6 oz. of 2-4-D mixed with 2 gallons of water. Is this two much roundup and 2-4-D? It's been working fairly good, but it is getting pricy.

 

Preston

[Smallpatch]

Preston there are lots of Roundup formulas. I buy the 2.5 gal. size of the Concentrate which is about the most expensive but I can dilute it a bunch..

 Go to their site and it will tell you the ratio of the formula you have.  I also though 2-4-D had been banned.

[HandyDan]

Mix it according to the directions on the bottle.  A heavier mix will kill the weeds too fast and won't completely kill the roots.

[Gene Howe]

I think the active ingredient in Roundup is Glysophate. We buy a 2.5 gallon jug of 43% Glysophate solution at Tractor Supply. Our cost is $42.00 Not expensive when compared to Roundup.

Our weeds are classified as woody so the mix is 2.5 to 5 oz. per gallon of water. In summer sun, it kills within 6 days. 

[Grandpadave52]

3 hours ago, steamshovel said:

I use 12 oz. of roundup and 6 oz. of 2-4-D mixed with 2 gallons of water. Is this two much roundup and 2-4-D? It's been working fairly good, but it is getting pricy.

Preston,  I use about 8 oz of 41% Glyphosate Extra (Generic Round-Up) and 6-8 oz  of 2-4-D Amine along with 4-6 oz of Ortho Poison Ivy, Oak & Tough Brush Killer to ~2.5 gal of water. I buy all of these from Rural King but as Gene noted, most Tractor Supply's also carry. In my area RK is usually much less expensive than other farm supply stores. Buying Roundup_R Concentrate is quite expensive and is no more effective than Glyphosate as Gene pointed out.

 

 I typically only have to spray 2-3x/yr depending on how wet or dry the season is. None of the three alone will control everything we have to deal with but collectively keeps the worst at bay. I try to spray late afternoon or early evening when possible to minimize any wind drift.

2 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

I think the active ingredient in Roundup is Glysophate. We buy a 2.5 gallon jug of 43% Glysophate solution at Tractor Supply. Our cost is $42.00 Not expensive when compared to Roundup.

 

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

I must not understand something. I use 5 oz. of 41% Glyo to 2 gallons of water, and it's always (slowly) killed whatever I sprayed....except for some woody vine type plants. 2,4 D is a broadleaf killer (?). Why mix the 2? I use 2,4 D to kill dandelions in the yard...and the Glyo for areas where I'm trying to kill everything. For the brush and woody vines I use Bayer Brush Killer, it's usually on sale at Menards for quite a bit less than the Ortho equivalent.

[Gene Howe]

Out here, our most noxious and plentiful weeds are what we call goat heads. Tribulus terrestris, actually. And, tumble weeds. And, a bunch of weeds I've never bothered to ID. The glysophate kills them, roots and all. 

 

[Roly]

Look at the label on the Roundup you are using  it gives the percentage of Glysophate,   Roundup has different strengths available for the same product which would change your mixing, the big boxes have a weaker mix.  It does take about a week to completely kill the plant.   Roly

Edited March 30, 2018 by Roly

[steamshovel]

I live in Idaho & some of my neighbors are farmers and they mix 2-4-d and roundup together and spray ditches and their banks. They say the two mixed together works better. The ditches are always well manicured. 2-4-D has not been banned around here. I have been doing spring clean-up and somehow someone threw away the instructions on how to mix, I won't mention any names but it wasn't my wife. I will go to the website and see what they say.

Thanks to everyone.

 

Preston

[Gene Howe]

Thanks, Preston. Just a glysophate mix seems to work fine for me. But, I think I'll try adding the 2 4 D and see if there's a difference.

[Grandpadave52]

6 hours ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

I must not understand something. I use 5 oz. of 41% Glyo to 2 gallons of water, and it's always (slowly) killed whatever I sprayed....except for some woody vine type plants. 2,4 D is a broadleaf killer (?). Why mix the 2?

Fred, I can't speak specific to your area, but here, I have 3 of my fence lines border either corn or soybean fields depending on the rotation cycle. Additionally some nearby fence rows are overgrown with trees, brush and various weed-types all which seem to be spread by birds and I suppose prevailing winds. While 41% Glyphosate is pretty effective on most grasses or single leaf weeds, it seems to have little or no effect on weeds such as Canadian Thistle, multi-floral rose, "horseweed", wild grape vines, wild mulberry, some crabgrass or ragweed. I also have much better luck controlling cocklebur and velvetleaf using both versus one or the other.

 

For me 2-4-D Amine (or Ester) also seems to help the brush & ivy killer to slow the return of both the Poison Oak & Sumac which is in some of the untreated fence rows across the road. Poison Oak & Sumac is a determined noxious invader and will root, grow and travel even under roads. Glyphosate seems to have no effect on the grasses or weeds that come up through my drive either.

 

Like Preston mentioned above, the "old timers" who used to farm around me "taught" me to use the mixture of 2-4-D + Glyphosate. I added the Ivy & Brush killer to control the woody plants and vines. My dad always used the same blend once Round-up came about. He also mixed in some diesel fuel as a binding oil but that was many years ago. Those "old-timers" (all gone now) use to loan me their small sprayers and the chemicals to spray our adjoining fence lines. I've continued to follow what I learned from them (sans the diesel) with continued success.

 

Of course those "old guys" always mowed their fence rows and road-sides too which heled. I keep border fence rows and roadsides mowed on both sides but have to spray a 4-6" band within the fence lines. I guess they're too busy "road-farming" to mow any more...fortunately the County comes through 2-3x during the summer to knock down the worse.

[Gene Howe]

Dave, an ounce per gal. of cheap dollar store dish soap or liquid laundry soap works as well a diesel as a surfactant. 

[Grandpadave52]

Yes, I've used the dish soap.

I quit using diesel a long time ago even before the cost escalated. Dad used it when it was 20-30 cents/gal

[p_toad]

I last purchased a 5 gallon of glyphosphate at RK and once i get it thinned down it does a good job with weeds in the driveway, poison ivy, and stuff along the road.   On big (wrist size) poison ivy and grape vines they get chopped and a nice paint-on with Tordon does the trick on them.  i usually  put a little detergent or shampoo in with the spray as a surfactant.

[Gene Howe]

4 hours ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Yes, I've used the dish soap.

I quit using diesel a long time ago even before the cost escalated. Dad used it when it was 20-30 cents/gal

At $4.50  a gallon, diesel is still cheaper than a gallon of dish soap @ 88 cents for 16 ounces. 

 

[Wichman3]

I just used this technique again, successfully. (Siberian elms along the alley side of my house)

Wait to spray the perennial, tough weed, brush and trees until fall, if you must, you can cut the plant back during the year, but al;low time to let some grow back during the summer.

When the climate changes to cold nights, but before hard frosts, spray (or if it's in the middle of something, use a foam brush, late in the day and paint the leaves) the plants with a weak (2%) solution of roundup. The plants will be sending sugars and nutrients to the roots so they can survive the winter, they will send the roundup as well and during the winter it will kill the plants.

Couple of points, roundup only works if the plant is actively growing; so water the plants for a day or so before spraying and then 2 days after spraying. If the plants stop growing and then you apply roundup, it just doesn't do anything. If you apply too strong a solution it will kill the leaves but not the roots.

[Gene Howe]

@Wichman3, good ideas, there. Thanks. 

[schnewj]

Weed Killer

 

1     Gallon of White Vinager

2     Cups of Epsom Salts

1/4  Cup of Dawn

 

Mix in a garden sprayer and watch them go bye-bye

[Stick486]

change from WV to ammonia to get rid of the rest of the pests as in bugs and spiders (recluse/black widows)....