Dealing With Weeds

WSU Extension Agent, Tim Smith, recently spent some time talking about differences between fall weed applications and spring applications. He says one of the big advantages of fall weed control is that it is your downtime. It takes a few hours or a day but you are done. And Smith says a fall plan really knocks out the perennials.

SMITH: Contact material in the fall and if you have perennials in there the glyphosate or product like that will control the perennials. Because if you wait until the spring the perennials aren't up and you'll kill all the annual weeds and the perennial weeds will take over.

Smith says these timing on spraying can be very crucial.

SMITH: The seasonality of weeds and the way you choose to time your herbicide applications are very important. Perennial weeds are most vulnerable in the early fall and poor control in the spring will make it look like your herbicides didn't work.

He says there is an exception to this.

SMITH: On the other hand if you are putting residual products on, they're kind of wasted in the winter. So you can wait until May if in your program you think you have the time to put the herbicides on in late April or early May. If you can't get the timing you'll have to increase the rates and spend a little bit more money in the fall and that will take you well into the summer.

That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.