Mesquite Control
Mesquite is one of the most invasive and hardest to kill of all the brush species. While most everyone considers it a nuisance and a poorquality range plant, it does provide cover and some food for wildlife. Mesquite is actually a legume and has the capability of fixing its own nitrogen. This ability to produce its own nitrogen and its drought tolerance helps mesquite to thrive in a wide variety of soils and climates. When left unmanaged, mesquite will dominate range land and crowd out quality forages leaving little grazing for livestock. Even in your best hay fields and pastures you will start seeing mesquites popping up if you are lax for a couple of years.
Fortunately, we do have some mesquite control methods that do provide good control at a reasonable cost. The most effective, but timeconsuming method would be the cut stump method. Using this method, you would cut the mesquite with a chain saw or hand shears depending on size and then spray the stump with a 25% Remedy and 75% diesel mixture. You will need to spray the exposed stump within an hour or two of cutting it, before the stump heals over.
Another option is to spray the stems from ground level to a height of 12”-18” all the way around the stem. For stems that are 1.5” in diameter or less, you would use a 15% remedy and 85% diesel mixture: for stems 1.5”- 4” in diameter a 25% remedy and 75% diesel mixture work best. For larger rough bark trees, you would also want to use a 25% Remedy and 75% diesel mixture, but control will not be as good on the larger rough barked trees. Results may be a little better if the applications are applied during the growing season, but either of the above applications can be applied anytime of the year. I prefer doing these treatments in the winter while it is cooleryou do not have to worry about getting eaten up by chiggers and ticks, and the snakes are not active.
For mesquites that are brushy, thick, and 8’ tall or less, a leaf application might work better. Leaf applications need to be made after the soil temperature has reached 75 degrees, 12”- 18” deep and applications can continue to be made through September. We have a couple of options for mesquite foliage treatments and one newer option. Leaf applications with newest mesquite control product Sendero would include 1% concentration of Sendero, ¼% surfactant, ¼ to ½ % Hi-Lite or blue dye. The good news for those that do not have an applicator license is that Sendero is not a restricted use herbicide, so it can be purchased without the license. The older Remedy Reclaim treatment would include ½% Reclaim, ½% Remedy, ¼% surfactant, and ¼ to ½% Hi-Lite or blue dye. While Remedy is not a restricted use herbicide, Reclaim does require a private applicator license to purchase.
Invora is the newest herbicide technology we have available for mesquite control. It has shown to be very effective but does require a license and extra training for all applicators. It is also restricted to be used only on privately owned-range lands and cannot be used where hay production is a possibility. Regardless of which herbicide you choose to use, you will wet all foliage of each plant until the leaves are almost to the point of dripping. You can achieve a 76 to 100% root kill with these methods.
Whichever method you choose, be sure to follow all label directions and remember mesquite control is not a one-time control. You will need to be diligent in your scouting and control efforts to prevent sprouts from getting the upper hand. For more information and proper mixing rates come by the office and pick up the Brush Busters publication “How to Beat Mesquite.”