August offers more than just warm evenings and golden sunsets; it’s also prime time to take a walk and see what’s growing beneath your livestock’s feet.
Late summer is a good time to take a walk through your pastures to do a survey of existing weeds. Although this is not the best time of year to spray and control those weeds, it gives you a head start on what is present.
There is no specific strategy or step-by-step plan you need to follow when going out to survey weeds in your pasture, but here are a few tips and tricks that can help you along the way.
Identify weeds/species
Accurate identification of the weeds present is crucial for choosing the right control methods. Start by looking at categories: perennial, annual and fall-emerging weeds.
Some perennials that you might see include western ragweed, ironweed and verbena. These can usually be found in places that have thin grass stands and areas where the livestock congregate in the pasture.
A variety of grasses and broadleaf such as yellow foxtail and horseweed, are just a couple of examples in the annual category that are prevalent in late summer.
When it comes to fall-emerging weeds, looking at those winter annuals will give you a good guess what might show up. Weeds like deadnettle and chickweed germinate in the fall and continue through the winter to flower in the spring.
Assess weed infestation
While it’s important to identify the weeds you see while walking through the pasture, it’s almost, if not more important, to narrow down where there are infestations of those weeds. This can simply be accomplished by walking the pasture in a random pattern and covering the entire area of the pasture.
Before you plan to walk, make sure you have a pencil/pen and a notebook or sheet of paper with you. This can assist in recording what you observe while you are walking. Make sure to that you highlight or star in your recording those problem areas that you may find. Those are typically areas with thin grass cover, around water sources and along fence lines.
Something else to consider when assessing infestations is the grazing patterns of your livestock. Weed infestations can be more prominent in areas where animals overgraze or tend to congregate.
Timing and control
The final step is how to react to the findings of your survey. There are a few methods that can be taken, and some may take some time. One method you have already completed. By taking a late summer assessment, you have identified the issues that may appear in your pasture and can start a plan for fall or spring control.
A common control practice is herbicide application. The one thing to consider for this control method is timing. Identify what stages those weeds are at. If you see infestations of fall-emerging weeds, plan to spray those late August through early November, but before the ground freezes.
Mowing is a low-cost control option that can help reduce weed seed production. Make sure you mow before the seeds start to shed on those weeds.
Two control methods that rely heavily on timing are proper pasture management and reseeding. Healthy, well-managed pastures with dense grass stands are less susceptible to weed infestations. This could include developing a good rotational grazing plan. If weeds have severely impacted the pasture, it may be time to consider reseeding to reestablish a healthy stand of forage.
Taking the time to do a late summer weed survey for pastures can get you ahead of the game and make a plan for the fall. You can also get your steps in!
