# prickly amaranth



## Swordfish7769 (Aug 7, 2013)

Hey There,

Relatively new to the forum and new to the world of Hay. I just started helping my Father-in-law with his cow and hay operation. In one of the main lots we have what has been come to be known as prickly amaranth. I have posted a link below to a google search. Basically the weed has a long tap root and they head out very quickly. He had not caught them in time and now it is all over the lot and starting to spread to the hay fields. The cows themselves will eat the seed heads and spread them that way as well. Do any of you have any experience with them? Is there any good way to eliminate them? I was told to use Forefront to control them, but if I can flat out kill them I would be a happy man. I don't want to use round up and kill the "grass" we have there now, but if I have to I will. Just looking for a little more expertise on this matter. Thank you for all your help.

Kris

https://www.google.com/search?q=prickly+amaranth&rlz=1C1ASUM_enUS539US539&oq=pricamaranth&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.14794j0j8&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Does the type you have have a reddish colored stem?


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## Swordfish7769 (Aug 7, 2013)

Some does, some doesn't if I remember correctly, but mostly yes I believe.

Kris


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

That's usually the case you'll have both around here too. There was one pasture here that was nearly overrun with both Redroot Pigweed and Prickly Pigweed and now it's down to maybe 50-75 plants of the stuff. Believe it or not my son has gotten decent control of it with frequent mowing/bush hogging the stuff better than anything else. We've tried PBI Gordon Pasture Pro Herbicide and basically it will brown it down for a week or so and then come back. Pasture Pro Herbicide is suppose to be safe for immediate grazing, I believe it's just a different formulation of 2,4-D. They say clip before it goes to seed but the prickly type usually heads out at about 3-4" high so it nearly impossible to clip it before it heads out. Good luck.

They'll probably be some better advice to come along on here soon.

http://www.gordonsusa.com/farmandhome/index.php


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Well Swordfish, you have that Southern delight known here as Spiny Amaranth.....pigweed. 2-4d will kill it....2 or more pints per acre. It is a annual so if you will spray when you see it emerging you can easily kill it. You will need to spray a couple of different times to get the emerging seedlings. Once it gets about 6 inches tall it dies very slowly when sprayed at that stage......you will notice it curling on the ends first. Just stay after it and you will eventually eliminate it. Oh yeah.....remember to add surfactant for a much better kill.

Regards, Mike


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Vol said:


> Well Swordfish, you have that Southern delight known here as Spiny Amaranth.....pigweed. 2-4d will kill it....2 or more pints per acre. It is a annual so if you will spray when you see it emerging you can easily kill it. You will need to spray a couple of different times to get the emerging seedlings. Once it gets about 6 inches tall it dies very slowly when sprayed at that stage......you will notice it curling on the ends first. Just stay after it and you will eventually eliminate it. Oh yeah.....remember to add surfactant for a much better kill.
> 
> Regards, Mike


yup- agree with Mike but I also have had great success with forefront and it really controls a lot of stuff better than 2-4-D. Trick is, as Mike says, just like Chicago voting, spray early and spray often. It is a bit.. in horse paddocks.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Ours was too tall when it got sprayed. It stunted it and that was about it.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

then bushhog it and get it early next season


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

I have found that 2,4d really puts a hurtin on pigweeds as long as it is sprayed before it begins reproductive stage. This year I sprayed grazon p&d on a field mainly to control horsenettle but the field was also infested with spiny pigweed and the grazon also killed it good but the best part was the residual kept it from coming up for a month and what came up after that was sick and stunted and did not make seed. Hopefully I depleted the seed bank considerably. I don't know why but spiny pigweed seems to be the worst on fields that were grazed by cows at some time.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Hayman1 said:


> then bushhog it and get it early next eason


I adree Hayman<<


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## Swordfish7769 (Aug 7, 2013)

Guys,

Thank you so much for the info. All that information was great. I will give it a go come spring time.

Kris


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

FarmerCline said:


> . I don't know why but spiny pigweed seems to be the worst on fields that were grazed by cows at some time.


FC- that has been my experience. I think it must be due to animals eating the seeds and pooping them out with ready made fertilizer. Then good farmers come along adn chain drag them out spreading them to the max over bare spots in the field, thus plenty of new seed stock.


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