# Buttercup and Crown Vetch



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I have to spray every year now(Spring) for these two nuisances in my HAYLANDS. About 1990 or shortly thereafter, Buttercup started showing up in my area and it has been a battle since. I have it fairly under control until I disturb the ground and then it re-awakens with avengence. It is easily controlled with 2-4d. About 5 years ago Crown Vetch started rearing its ugly head here and now I have to spray every year for this nuisance. It also is easily controlled with 2-4d, but unlike Buttercup, I have to spray every year for it even in undisturbed ground.

Best I can tell, Buttercups thrive in closely grazed pasture and are a very bitter plant for livestock to have to consume and I think that Crown Vetch is grazed and kept in control by livestock being that it is in the legume family. I also recall some members saying that they have made hay from Crown Vetch but that is very difficult to dry down. Due to vetches extremely aggressive nature, I would never consider letting it go to maturity to make hay.

My question is one of curiosity, my location is fairly centered in the Eastern U.S. and I was curious as to how far in every direction has these two nemesis expanded? I am not sure from what direction these two plants came from.....whats everyones reports on these pests as far as location and expansion.

Regards, Mike


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Mike, I *think* crown vetch was invented at Penn State (in PA) for erosion control and as an embankment cover for PA roads. Not too much trouble around her with it, but I have seen it.
I get buttercups around here pretty bad, too. They show up for a few weeks in mid spring, then they go away. Like you, I spray buttercups.
My nemisis is milkweed/dogbane, horsenettle.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

I have vetch bad also but I do not have any buttercup. Buckhorn plantain and henbit are the other spring weeds I have a problem with. I got my hay ground sprayed with 2-4d last week. What rate of 2-4d do use per acre?


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Early in the year 2 pints/ac. is usually sufficient. Plantain has to be sprayed twice(with 2-4d) to kill it.....10 days between sprays. It will die easily if sprayed twice, but if you spray just once it will fight thru the intial spray and recover.

Regards, Mike


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

2 pints per acre is what I used. Thanks for the heads up on the plantain I will get it sprayed for a second time first of next week.


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## cwright (Oct 19, 2011)

Neighbors grazed plots are covererd in butter cups. None has invaded the hayfield yet. Some vetch but not to bad. Onions I got plenty of. 24D stunts the onions but they recover.
I spray with 24D but been to wet so far and a bit cool and windy. Hope to spray this week or next.

CW


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

There is a lot of vetch around here. I am not certain it is Crown Vetch or not. I remember my grandfather saying the government subsidized planting vetch as a cover crop. Again, I am not sure what kind of vetch it is we have around here. I looked at some pictures of Crown Vetch in bloom. I am not sure I have ever seen our local Vetch reach the bloom stage.
Thistle seems to be the plant wanting to invade our hay fields.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Light Purple flowers on the crown vetch up here.


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## Fossil02818 (May 31, 2010)

We have vetch up here in New Hampshire though I don't consider it a problem. It has established itself in some low fertility fields but I haven't seen it outcompete our alfalfa/orchardgrass plantings. I custom hayed some fields that had patches of vetch and the customers understood that we viewed the vetch as just another nitrogen fixing legume like clover. It is a bit harder to dry because of the stems but is also very palatable to the livestock.


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