Weed Control Tidbits
Rod Davis, University of Cooperative Extension Educator

Some of us get a little careless with soil sterilants from time to time…especially around barns and livestock holding facilities. A soil sterilant is a herbicide that will kill a broad range of plants…anything from knapweed to cheatgrass to momma's favorite cottonwood. And they can remain active in the soil for up to 10 years. They gradually leach into the soil profile and it can be easy to be fooled into thinking they are gone. Especially when you see weeds germinating as soon as the 2nd year after application. Don't be fooled. They are still there, just under the soil surface. The plants you see probably germinated on top of the herbicide. If shallow rooted they may survive. If not, the sterilant will get them as soon as their roots grow into the herbicide.

Remember too, that there will always be a few plants that are resistant to any specific herbicide. These are the plants that survive your spray program. And a share of these will pass on their resistance to their off-spring. So when using sterilants be sure and rotate your selections so that your second application is with a totally different product. This practice should kill any plants resistant to the first product.

If you have any questions concerning herbicide selection or use just call the Lander County Cooperative Extension office at 775-635-5565 or email: davisr@unce.unr.edu.