Birdsfoot is a legume, and mostly planted as a forage crop for cattle. Used widely due to the plants ability not to bloat the animal. Happy cow!! This is labeled as an invasive plant:
http://www.invasive.org/weedcd/species/5949.htm
This plant doesn't die.
Why:
Germinates twice:
- Once in the early spring, and another early fall. Twice!! How stubborn and resilient can you be!
Adventitious root system:
- Deep tap root good for storing energy, spreads through rhizomes and stolons
- This plant creates a matted structure that makes it difficult for chemical coverage (finding the source).
http://www.anbg.gov.au/glossary/webpubl/glossss.htm
Chemically tolerant:
- It can withstand 2,4-D, which is one of more, if not the most common broadleaf herbicide.
- Clopyralid is a chemical that specifically targets legumes. However this has been researched that roots do not uptake clopyralid as well as other chemicals will. Therefore you'll get a top kill (the leaves) and yet the plant will remain alive and continue to produce, because the roots were not affected.
This is what we've been seeing on our site. With the birdsfoot elaborate root system, you can understand why.
See: http://www.larimer.org/weeds/herbicide.pdf
Hard to find:
- Small leaves and grows/spreads close to the ground
Shade tolerant:
Although this plant prefers a lot of sunlight, it will still thrive if taller plants block it from sunlight.
Most effective mode of action?
Apply a pre-emergent herbicide that will sit in the soil for at least a year, and then seed with your plants the following growing season (even this has been proven difficult). If you have good plants in the soil already, you cannot add a pre-emergent. In which case you can have fun scratching your head at this AMAZING invasive plant.
Why:
Germinates twice:
- Once in the early spring, and another early fall. Twice!! How stubborn and resilient can you be!
Adventitious root system:
- Deep tap root good for storing energy, spreads through rhizomes and stolons
- This plant creates a matted structure that makes it difficult for chemical coverage (finding the source).
http://www.anbg.gov.au/glossary/webpubl/glossss.htm
Chemically tolerant:
- It can withstand 2,4-D, which is one of more, if not the most common broadleaf herbicide.
- Clopyralid is a chemical that specifically targets legumes. However this has been researched that roots do not uptake clopyralid as well as other chemicals will. Therefore you'll get a top kill (the leaves) and yet the plant will remain alive and continue to produce, because the roots were not affected.
This is what we've been seeing on our site. With the birdsfoot elaborate root system, you can understand why.
See: http://www.larimer.org/weeds/herbicide.pdf
Hard to find:
- Small leaves and grows/spreads close to the ground
Shade tolerant:
Although this plant prefers a lot of sunlight, it will still thrive if taller plants block it from sunlight.
Most effective mode of action?
Apply a pre-emergent herbicide that will sit in the soil for at least a year, and then seed with your plants the following growing season (even this has been proven difficult). If you have good plants in the soil already, you cannot add a pre-emergent. In which case you can have fun scratching your head at this AMAZING invasive plant.
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