Section 4: Mowing and Herbicide Application

Need for Coordination

Overspray herbicide applications must be coordinated with mowing operations to:
  • ensure effective control of target plant species
  • avoid damage to desirable plant species such as wildflowers, legumes and forbs beneficial to wildlife (examples include Illinois bundleflower, Engelmann daisy, Plains Coreopsis, Texas Bluebonnet, etc.).

How Overspray Herbicide Works

Overspray herbicide applications target noxious weeds. For the herbicide to be effective,
both
 of the following conditions must be met:
  • The target species must be in a correct growing condition. (See
    Herbicide Operations
    .)
  • The herbicide must have about 14 days to translocate from the leaf surface to the root system of the target species.

Guidelines

To coordinate mowing and herbicide operations, observe the following guidelines:
  • Do
    not
     apply overspray herbicide after a mowing operation or before the target species attains a correct growing condition.
    (To do so would be ineffective and cause damage to desirable species.)
  • Allow a
    minimum of 14 days
     before mowing in overspray areas.

More Information

Details on herbicides are covered fully in
Herbicide Operations
and also available in separate published form from MNT, Vegetation Management Section.