Does anyone know the proper percentage of vinegar to use as a herbicide on
burdock? Tom
When we bought our 160 it should have been called 'burdock acres', it was
pastured for 90 years prior to us. Where our garden and part of orchard is
now - the soil was so rich the burdock was 10' high and stalks big as my
arm., it was like a forest. It took the bulldozer to clear a patch. Being a
biennial it is easy to control by mowing. We were quite concerned the way it
was taking over the mixed hardwood forest floor and shading out native stuff
- our first 4 years it doubled its territory every year till about 40 acres
was pretty bad. But we see a natural turn around now - as the sod slowly
takes over it can't compete. It took off at first because there were no
longer cattle to trample or eat the young shoots in the spring,but the
disturbed ground it loves was everywhere.
One area in the new orchard has 2 year old apples and ribes - if I dont mow
soon in the spring the plants are completely hidden - however I do not till
where it is because the countless seeds are mostly on top of the ground - so
I let them germinate each year then kill by mowing. Hopefully this burdock
seed bank will run low on funds before too many years.
Del Stubbs www.pinewoodforge.com ag zone2/3