Landowners interested in managing forage production for grazing and/or hay can use this calendar for management suggestions specific to each month and to record the dates of the management tasks performed. Keeping a record of management activities by date can help you document your management strategies for your pastures each year. To order a copy visit: http://agrilifebookstore.org                                            

WEED OF THE WEEK: Hemp Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum L.) Hemp dogbane is an erect, one to three feet tall perennial. It grows from woody horizontal rootstocks. Leaves are smooth, elliptical, narrow and erect. Flowers are small with five greenish-white petals. Leaves and stems have a milky sap. Seed pods are long and slender. Hemp dogbane plants produce from 800-12,000 seeds per plant. Each plant usually has 10 to 60 seed pods and each pod contains between 80-200 seeds.Hemp dogbane is very competitive. It can reduce forage yields if not… Read More →

Texas Bullnettle (Cnidoscolus texanus) Bienniel/Perennial Usually 1.5 to 3 feet tall with multiple stems. If any part of the stem is broken, a milky sap appears.   The leaves are dark green and located alternately along the stems. Leaves are 2 to 4 inches long with stinging hairs.   The flowers, which appear from April through September, consist of 5 to 7 white, petallike sepals. Bullnettle is a very common plant found in all soil types. It is most common on sandy soils and disturbed areas. Bullnettle thrives in… Read More →

Wild Carrot (Daucus carota): Wild Carrot, also known as queen anne’s lace, is a biennial broadleaf plant. Wild carrot forms a rosette of leaves the first year, then flowers, produces seed, and dies the second year. It forms a deep, whitish taproot that has a distinctive carrot odor. Mature plants reach 2 to 4 feet tall and have erect stems and few branches. Leaves divide several times, forming many long, narrow segments. Leaves on the lower part of the plant have stalks. Those on the upper part of… Read More →

Don’t forget to cheek out the “Events” tab for upcoming events in College Station as well as Overton, TX! Events occurring through out the year will be posted under the “Events” tab. For local programs contact your County Extension Agent.                    

Chaparral is labeled for bermudagrass pastures and hay meadows. Chaparral can destroy bahiagrass.

Many growers make no distinction at all between perennial and annual sow thistles. That’s because all three versions are tall weeds with yellow, dandelion-like flowers and stems that produce a milky sap. Seedlings of the two species(Sonchus asper & Sonchus oleraceus) are practically indistinguishable, and may be difficult to tell apart even at spray stage without examining the root system. Spiny sow thistle was covered in the previous post. Annual Sow Thistle: (Sonchus oleraceus L.) Winter annual broadleaf plant. Inhabits agricultural land and other disturbed locations. Species are not easy to… Read More →

Many growers make no distinction at all between perennial and annual sow thistles. That’s because all three versions are tall weeds with yellow, dandelion-like flowers and stems that produce a milky sap. Seedlings of the two species(Sonchus asper & Sonchus oleraceus) are practically indistinguishable, and may be difficult to tell apart even at spray stage without examining the root system. Annual and perennial sow thistle will be covered in an upcoming post. Spiny Sow Thistle (Sonchus asper): An annual that has bluish-green leaves and stems that emit a… Read More →

Buttercup (Ranunculus species): One of the many yellow flowering weeds that we fight in pastures and hay meadows. Buttercup is a winter annual that thrives in weak or thin pastures. There are several species of this winter annual. They differ mainly in leaf shape and growth, but all produce characteristic bright yellow blossoms. March to early April is the best time to kill buttercup. The goal is to spray buttercup before bloom.   Fertilizing and liming to soil test recommendations and efficient utilization of pastures or hay fields are… Read More →

Grassbur is a grass weed that is very troublesome in pastures and hay meadows throughout Texas. Most grassburs are easily recognized in the mature stage of growth when the “bur” seed heads become apparent. The bur itself is actually a “capsule” that usually contains from 1 to 3 seeds. We tend to think of the grassbur species as a warm season annual plant. However, many grassburs are classified as perennials because they can survive from one year to the next. The presence of grassburs can be an indication… Read More →