Poast Herbicide

[Muddy Fork]

I had to replant a 1/2 acre of clover plot that I had just planted last year because I lost it to grasses. The rest of my food plots did fine, but I wasn't able to mow this plot yearly enough and the grasses took over. Now so far I have just as much clover as grass and it's only a few inches tall. I will be able to mow it yearly enough this year, but was thinking about using Poast Herbicide, but the only thing I can find is 2 gal for $170. I will pay that much if it's the best way to take control of this plot. What do you think? Anybody?

[GodsCountry]

I don't have much experience spraying, but I'm going to spray all my plots this year, when the clover and grass is between 6-8 inches tall. Mowing is not very effective at controlling grass - you need to spray.

Last year I bought a small bottle of Poast, like about 8 ounces, from a garden coop for around $20. It's sethoxydim - same thing as Poast. The bottle had a generic name - Grass Killer, I think.

The Whitetail Institute sells the same thing, called Vantage. If I remember right you can get a gallon for $130 or something like that.

Hope this helps, good luck.

[Muddy Fork]

I've used my ATV boom and sprayer to spray Plateau on my native warm season grass the last two years and it works great. I also saw the 8oz bottle that you're talking about. If Whitetail Institute's selling a gal for $130 I guess $170 for two gal isn’t bad. Just wish I had someone as interested as I am about food plots around here in IN. Everybody just wants to hunt corn fields. I'm going to buy the stuff Friday I guess.

[VaArcher]

Guys, I have a big problem with grass, and use Poast every year. My problem was fescue, and a grass we in Va. call wiregrass. It is a bermuda with a type of stolon that forms a mat of roots/grass and takes over and smothers everything. I first tried Poast in July a couple of years ago. I have clover/alfalfa plots and it was taking over, the fescue growing in big clumps and the wiregrass creeping. A week after I sprayed, I thought I'd been had. I could tell no difference in the grass at all. By the end of week 2 the grass was looking sickly and golden color. A couple more days later, ALL of my grass was DEAD !!

I highly recommend it to anyone with grass problems, for sure. My clover came back like gangbusters afterwards, and seemed to fill in all of the dead grass areas. Be advised, the Poast works from the leaf down to the roots, so do not cut it for a few days after you spray it because the more leaf the grass has, the more it is going to absorb the poison. They say after 4 hours it is absorbed to the point where even rain can't help it but I like to be sure.

More important than spraying Poast, is planting in the fall, especially if you have a grass problem. I turn my fields for my fall plots during the summer while it is hot. This will dry out a bunch of your grass and kill it. Some will come back, so I disc it once more after the grass starts growing again, killing most of that as well. Then I disc one final time and broadcast my clover seed heavily. The clover gets it's root system established better in the fall, and come summer, it starts growing before the grass. This seems to choke out the grass before it can even get started. My plots I planted last fall were done this way and I have 100 % clover in my fields. As soon as I can borrow a digital camera I'm going to take some pics. and post them. Good luck, be sure to let us know how your fields turn out.

Godscountry is exactly right, by the way. The Vantage is much more expensive and is the same thing as Poast.

[Muddy Fork]

I bought the Poast Plus for $180, but it was 2.5gals not the 2gals I thought so it wasn't so bad accept it'll take years for me to use. I just read the directions and what I gathered was 1.75pints Poast Plus, 1.75pints Mentholated Seed oil, and 15gals of water for every acre sense my tall fescue is under 6". Does that sound right?

[VaArcher]

I'm not sure about the mix ratio's. Our local co-op sprays for me. They have a truck with 2 big booms and can do it in a fraction of the time it would take us on a 4 wheeler. I also hire out a neighbor with a tractor to do my turning/disking at 20.00 per hour.

You may want to check at your local farm supply and get some purple dye. You will get much more even coverage, and may save on how much chemical you use as well. Good luck, and let us know how your grass turns out.

[Muddy Fork]

http://www.northcountrywhitetails.com/ncw/foodplots/plot30602.tpl

This site says “Poast was sprayed using an ATV type sprayer at a rate of 12oz per acre.” If I would used 1.75 pints I would be using 28oz per acre!??


I have two acres of CRP in native grasses one in clover, an acre in WHIP, planted wildflowers and native grasses on my pond's dam, two strips of sunflowers around the backyard, and planning on two food plots in my woods. I've done the soil testing, disking, fertilizing, planting, and weed control on all of it. I love doing it myself on my 660 Grizzly. Everybody including the farmers around here already think I'm crazy. I couldn't imagine having someone else doing this for me.

[Muddy Fork]

I read the label on the Poast Plus I bought and did several searches on the net. I found out that Poast is stronger then Poast Plus and also how I will spray my clover.
I'm going to spray at 40psi 1.5 pints Poast Plus, 1.5 pints mentholated seed oil, and 15gals of water per acre when the grasses are between 6-8" tall. This is what they are right now. It rained today and the next time I'll be able to get to it will be Wednesday.

[VaArcher]

I hear ya Muddy. I'd love to have my own tractor and be able to do my own, but until I can get one, I hire the work out. We have 3 guys that hunt our farm and we have talked about going in and getting one.

[jfwalker]

From the labels:
Poast is 18% sethoxydim, 82% inert ingredients.
Poast Plus is 13% sethoxydim, 87% inert ingredients.
Vantage is 13% sethoxydim, 87% inert ingredients.
All are by Micro Flo

[Muddy Fork]

Got it sprayed today.

VaArcher,
Don't know how much ground you plant in food plots, but I have planted 5acres of my ground in food plots and the 3 that is my yard all with a old pull behind 8' disc, ATV spreader, 4' yard roller, a ATV sprayer/boom, pull behind mower, and my Yamaha ATV.
You wouldn't believe how good of a job it does nobody can not even me. My ATV has very wide 26' Titan 589's, a clutch kit, 30+hp, and locking 4wd. It will work up ground and plant where NO tractor can. In fact I wouldn't want a tractor unless I wanted to plant a 5+acre plot in annuals every year.
Don't know if you have an ATV or what kind if you do, but any of the 600cc+ ATV's aren't just toys unless it's a Honda.

[Andy]

Muddy Fork,

I can certainly attest to these claims. We just got a Yamaha Rhino 660cc. This thing is an absolute beast. It is so much more versatile than our tractor and i fully trust it to get out of soft ground better than the tractor. It's probably the best machine we've bought for all purpose outdoor use.
andy

[VaArcher]

Now there's an option..Thanks guys. One question though, are you guys turning your land as well as disking ?? How does your atv do with a turning plow ? This seems to be a much more affordable option as we only have to plant 2-3 acres each year. We have clover and alfalfa in the remaining 8 acres.

[Muddy Fork]

There are some good and some cheap equipment out there. I have an old one row adjustable pull behind 8' disc that I got for free from someone I work with. I know my Grizzly with these tires will pull any of the small pull type farm implements. The plot master that's made for ATV's looks good, but you could get a used disc or plow, large lawn roller, & ATV seed spreader for under $1,000.

http://www.theplotmaster.com/html/basic_unit_400.html

The 25gal tank and boom sprayer like this one works great for herbicides

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=6970&langId=-1&catalogId=4006970&PHOTOS=on&productId=80432&categoryId=0

[VaArcher]

Thanks for the info guys.