Control noxious weeds this fall

Fall is an excellent time to control noxious weeds. Nebraska’s noxious weeds are translocating nutrients to their root systems during the cool autumn months to survive the winter and get a good start next year. These weeds include Canada thistle, musk thistle, plumeless thistle, leafy spurge, spotted knapweed, diffuse knapweed, purple loosestrife, saltcedar, Japanese knotweed, giant knotweed, phragmites and sericea lespedeza. Many hard to control weeds, especially biennial and perennial varieties, are most susceptible to herbicide treatments at this time. Herbicide applications reach deeper into the root systems of undesirable plants (weeds) during the fall months simply because the plant is taking nutrients and water to the deep regions of its roots. As the plants take in nutrients and water to store as root reserves they also take in herbicides.

Lower rates of herbicides can be used with fall applications, thus making weed control less expensive. Lower application rates go further into the plants before the top part of the plant is burned off by the effects of the herbicides applied. Fall applications are generally more effective because herbicides get to the root of the problem in weeds. Fall applications are generally more environmentally friendly since most crops have been removed. Noxious and invasive weeds can be treated with herbicides this fall wherever they are actively growing until the ground freezes. Typically, treating perennial and biennial weeds this fall will show good results next spring because the plants have been stressed at their strongest points – their roots.