# Out-foxing foxtail strategies



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Every year, you know the drill, foxtail comes up and what are your strategies to deal with it when trying to make nice hay? 
Do you mow in down before it heads out? Local guy down the road says it makes nice hay if cut early. 
Problem is that makes lower yields. 
What do you do to deal with it?


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

While I have fed headed foxtail to horses, I have heard that the seeds can get lodged in horses teeth causing problems. I now cut mine before it goes to head. the stems are less tough then anyway. I am not looking for yield as much as controlling it going to seed in a timothy field. Know I will have a bumper crop in August as I have cut and baled my timothy already and we are still getting plenty of rain. And yes, if cut early it can make nice hay.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Something to ponder.....foxtail takes 16 oz. of glyphosate to kill(per acre).....Timothy 2-3 quarts(64-96 ozs.) of gly to kill....Orchard grass 3 quarts of gly to kill( 96 ozs.). What do you think Hugh?

Regards, Mike


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

I wasn't aware of those numbers but with what I had to go through to get that timothy established I would be reluctant to spray it even at 16 ou per ac. But that said, you might have something there Mike.


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

Are those rates with or without surfactants? I was unaware that glyphosate could be used selectively as well.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Vol said:


> Something to ponder.....foxtail takes 16 oz. of glyphosate to kill(per acre).....Timothy 2-3 quarts(64-96 ozs.) of gly to kill....Orchard grass 3 quarts of gly to kill( 96 ozs.). What do you think Hugh?
> 
> Regards, Mike


Definitely good to know. Didn't know FT was so "easy" to kill.
I heard there's already a product that will kill it without harming other grasses, but it hasn't yet been approved for use this way.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

hillside hay said:


> Are those rates with or without surfactants? I was unaware that glyphosate could be used selectively as well.


I think Hugh of Montana uses low doses of gly on his alfalfa for weed control.....and I am fairly certain that is with surfactant.

Regards, Mike


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

There are 3 types of Fox Tail here. Two are annual and one, Knotroot Foxtail, is perennial.

One option with the annual Fox Tail is to use a chemical that prevents plants from heading out. Of course this will also keep the desired plants from heading out. Since our desired plants are usually perennial if would seem to be a minor setback if it got rid of the Fox Tail.

I had a field done on shares that had a lot of Fox Tail. We cut early before it headed out. What we found was the plant would form a head when the stem was only inches tall.

Hopefully the herbicides used in row crops to control FT will be approves for hay next year.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

JD3430 said:


> Definitely good to know. Didn't know FT was so "easy" to kill.
> I heard there's already a product that will kill it without harming other grasses, but it hasn't yet been approved for use this way.


Prowl H2O?


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Sencor (metribuzin) is labeled for use on alfalfa/OG mix but must be applied AFTER they have gone dormant. I'm guessing it could be used on pure OG stands.

And, as I recall, it limits OG heading out, so I wondering if it could be used to get a better spring stand of OG with less stems. Hmmmmmm....

Ralph


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Sencor or Pursuit or Raptor or Prowl all will kill some broadleaf weeds and grasses but not orchard grass . If you have a mixed( natural / native) stand of grasses kind of just what ever grows . And you spray with one of theses herbicides you might find out your stand has very little o/g .


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Is that 16oz/acre for mature Foxtail ready to head out or the 6" tall stuff? A pint/acre of roundup on 3-6" tall anything kills it pretty good. Of course Timothy is unheard of here anymore. When burning down a hayfield (alfalfa/OG) usually use a pint each to the acre of Roundup and 2-4D with the proper surfactants, makes it nice and crispy in a few weeks.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

mlappin said:


> Is that 16oz/acre for mature Foxtail ready to head out or the 6" tall stuff?


6-12" dependant on species of foxtail.

http://www.cdms.net/LDat/ld67B012.pdf pg. 66-67

Here 16 oz. of straight gly would not touch Orchard grass.

Regards, Mike


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Vol said:


> 6-12" dependant on species of foxtail.
> 
> http://www.cdms.net/LDat/ld67B012.pdf pg. 66-67
> 
> ...


Good 2 know.

Seems like most of the time around here though it really only shows up when it's way too wet to be spraying, like now here.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

sprayed RU around rocks after first cutting the other day and got unexpected rain in less than an hour. Foxtail was on the rampage and was about 4-6" tall. Looks like the only thing turning is the foxtail and a few broadleaf weeds that were really succulent. Guess the rain saved everything else for another day and three more tankfulls of spot spraying. bummer.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

So if one were to mow down fields of foxtail with a bush hog before they head out, will the produce another seed head? Or will they grow back without a seed head and make good hay?


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

JD3430 said:


> So if one were to mow down fields of foxtail with a bush hog before they head out, will the produce another seed head? Or will they grow back without a seed head and make good hay?


Around here they will grow a head once the stem is 3 inches tall if clipped. Guess it is an effort to reproduce.


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

Is foxtail something you can wick with round-up?


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

leeave96 said:


> Is foxtail something you can wick with round-up?


Thing is I don't really want to kill it. I want to cut it before it heads out. Most of mine heads out at like 3' tall. That's why I'm considering an early 2nd cutting with all the rain we've had and as a strategy to get foxtail heads out of the hay. 
Then do a third cutting.


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