Purple deadnettle weed control?
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Pat Lefemine
10-Apr-21
I sprayed my 5 acre clover plot with 2,4DB and the weeds are turning yellow and twisting. Everything except these purple deadnettles that are taking off. Any ideas ? I hate to smoke this plot but the nettles are already consuming 20% of the field.
From: Rik Davis
10-Apr-21
It is possible due to the physical characteristics of the leaf that it may not twist. You may get some epinasty (down turning of the leaf) It appears you may have terminal bud yellowing which could be a good sign. I do not have purple dead nettle in my area so cannot tel you is 2,4-DB works on it for certain.
From: RIT
10-Apr-21
Purple Deadnettle isn’t on the 2-4DB label. Unfortunately the things that kill it will also kill your clover. A heavy dose of pre and post emergents is probably in order. I am having a similar battle with thistle. Being a winter annual the Spring plants that are growing now will set seed and those seeds will germinate this fall and hide in the clover exploding next Spring. If you are at 20% already spot spraying seems a bit overwhelming on 5 acres. That nettle won’t compete well with grains so if you decide to nuke it you could always replant clover with a small grains cover crop. But a better option may be to rotate out of clover for a few cycles so you can nuke the nettle seed bank.
From: goyt
10-Apr-21
I had a significant problem with purple deadnettle in my clover plots. One application of IMOX on 5/1/2020 seems to have taken care of them. At first it did not seem like it was working. After 2 weeks there was very little signs of distress but it did seem like the purple deadnettle was no longer growing, Then it slowly got over taken by the clover and faded away. There is purple deadnettle in all of the other fields but as of last Thursday my clover fields were still clear of it. I plan to treat with IMOX again the week after next.
From: RIT
11-Apr-21
Interesting Goyt. How tall was the nettle? What rate did you spray? I spot sprayed some DN with a solution of Raptor and it laughed at it then went to seed. Nettle germinates in the fall and develops a good root system and then exploded in the Spring. Things like mowing won’t kill it. If you don’t catch it early it’s awfully tough to kill with a clover friendly herbicides.
From: goyt
11-Apr-21
I sprayed 5.5 ozs per acre with ammonium sulfate. It was 3-6" tall. I do have a plot right now that had a poor stand of cereal rye in it that is exploding with DN. Will I be able to kill that with roundup and 2,4 D ester?
From: Boxcall70
12-Apr-21
Pat,here in Ohio,its everywhere.I dig mine under like a garden cover crop.it benefits honeybees and early hummingbirds.never dealt with it on a large scale.
From: KHNC
12-Apr-21
For some reason , i can not see your photo.
From: Ok...Russ
24-Jun-21
Is purple DN the same as Horse Nettle? That's what I believe is coming up good on one food plot here in OK. Curious how to rid it while not impacting the clover, chicory, hairy vetch, etc... 2,4D? IMOX?
From: Pat Lefemine
24-Jun-21
Not the same. At this stage of growth the best thing you can do is mow. Spraying this late is not effective.
From: t-roy
24-Jun-21
You’d better buy a vowel, Ok…Russ, or rather, a consonant. 2,4-D will kill your clover, etc. You want 2,4-DB (Butyrac).
From: Ok...Russ
24-Jun-21
Thanks Pat and t-roy - much appreciated.
