# Wild Onions in Alfalfa Stand



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I checked one of my alfalfa fields yesterdy and was totally depressed by the amount of wild onions that have shown up! The stand is 4 years old and I don't recall any onions in it last year. My neighbor just switched his ajoining field from a peach orchard to corn/wheat/beans rotation last year, so I'm wondering if this came from him (he has a lot of land in CRP).

I checked herbicides like Poast/Raptor/etc. and didn't see any that were labeled for wild onions.

Does anybody have any suggestions for controlling onions? I certainly would appreciate them!

BTW: this is my first post to this forum.

Thanks in advance

R J Moses


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## BCFENCE (Jul 26, 2008)

I would bale the first cutting for beef cows , The rest of the cuttings should not be a problem. I would not spray but thats just me.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Wild onions are hard to kill even when your doing a burndown and want everything to die. I wouldn't even guess if their is a product available to strong enough to kill em without severally damaging the alfalfa. I'm not sure how soon they might flower in your area, but if you can make it early before they goto seed just like you would with wild oats.

While on the subject, anyone have a sure fire way to eliminate wild oats besides mowing?


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## jpritchett (Sep 22, 2009)

we have wild onions that grow in are pastures. they dont grow very tall 6-8 inches. Maybe these are two different plants. These ones have a purple flower and the bulb is the size of a peanut. When I was a kid my grandma would take us out and we'd dig them up and eat them. I always enjoyed that.


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## steve IN (Jan 13, 2010)

Wild onions are a problem in one of my fields too. Dealer told me nothing works except rotation. My biggest weed problem is dockweed . We spread alot of manure and seem to have it on all filds that have been manured. As far as wild oats go I have tried to chop early before it heads but that is hard to do. The best thing I have found is rotation. You can spray a grass herbicide but you run the risk of killing any grass you have in your hay.If anyone has any ideas for dock I would be eternally grateful.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

You talking about Burdock steve? I go out with a paint brush and manually brush 2-4d on em. Course this is usually jsut around the edge of the field where they might be getting started from the ones in the fence row.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Don't feel bad. I've got a nice stand of wild onions in one of my new alfalfa fields also. I just plan on cutting it when the hay is ready. Not much you can do with them that I know of. Just grin and bare it and sell the first cutting for beef or feed it yourself. Mike


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## sedurbin (May 30, 2009)

> My biggest weed problem is dockweed


If you are talking about Sour Dock I usually go around early spring, when it first starts growing and you can see it good, and spot spray with RoundUp. It's not much fun if you have a bunch of it. It really shows up in the hay after it is baled.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Are you talking about wild oats or cheatgrass? I've used Poast Plus on both with success in pure alfalfa. I've been told that Sencor DF applied in late fall after dormancy works on a alfalfa/orchardgrass stand, but I haven't yet had the courage to try it.

Ralph


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

What they are talking about is just what they said. Wild Onions or Wild Garlic. They are a big problem here in alfalfa and also in wheat. We use Harmony in wheat to control garlic, and if you don't, the elevator will not pay for any wheat contimated with garlic(could just use it to make garlic bread!) Garlic in alfalfa is only a problem if you are grazing dairy cattle on it. The milk will take on an onion or garlic flavor. Baling dry hay or even balage on first cutting is no problem, the garlic will dry out and lose its potency. I have even sold 1st cut with garlic to dairy guys with no problems, just make sure the client understands and is ok with it. I haven't found anything to control garlic in alfalfa yet.


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## sedurbin (May 30, 2009)

> I haven't found anything to control garlic in alfalfa yet.


Sounds like there should be a market for feeding an Italian Stallion. ;-)


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

rjmoses said:


> Are you talking about wild oats or cheatgrass? I've used Poast Plus on both with success in pure alfalfa. I've been told that Sencor DF applied in late fall after dormancy works on a alfalfa/orchardgrass stand, but I haven't yet had the courage to try it.
> 
> Ralph


I'd say it's wild oats. Not even sure what cheat grass is. After the first cutting it's gone. I have some first cutting left that has it in it, I'll try to snap a picture of what it looks like and post it. I'm still thinking wild oats though, like I said, once you get the first cutting off it's gone for the year.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Bumping this thread. Was over to one of the rental farms getting ready to haul some soybeans out and noticed I had wild oats (Avena fatua) in the hayfield, other than mowing early any other proven ways to get em out? I've had several other fields in the past I've been able to make early and eliminate them for awhile, but with the forecast for the next week and the fact we are weeks behind on the row crops, getting hay made early is out of the question. Matter of fact it's drizzling now even with only a 30% chance of showers after 2pm.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

Is there a difference between Cheat and Wild oats growing up the terms were used to describe what looks to be the same looking "grass" just wondering?


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