How to Kill Broomweed

Broomweed is a fairly common pest plant in the American southwest. There is an annual broomweed and a perennial plant. The annual weed is a competitor for resources needed by crops and native grasses may be crowded out. Perennial broomweed is toxic to cattle and grazing animals. The plant causes stillbirth, abortion and even death. Annual or common broomweed is a broadleaf plant with a single, thick stem that produces a tuft of yellow flowers. Perennial broomweed is shrub-like and woody with a cap of many small yellow flowers. Control of the plant is most important in areas with livestock and to reduce seeding and rangeland take over by the weed.

Ounce measuring container
2,4-D herbicide
Sprayer with trigger nozzle
Surfactant
Dye
Water

Instructions

- 1
  Apply herbicide when the plants are just bolting and producing flowers. Measure 1 percent of solution to mix with 99 percent water. This would be 1.28 ounces for every gallon of water. Pour it into the sprayer.
- 2
  Add a surfactant to help the chemical adhere to the surface of the weed's leaves at a rate of 1/4 percent of the solution. Add a 1/4 percent amount of dye to help you see where you apply the herbicide.
- 3
  Pour the required amount of water and gently agitate the sprayer with the lid firmly screwed in place. Set the spray nozzle for a coarse spray in a cone pattern for broad application or in a tight stream for individual application.
- 4
  Work in an even slightly overlapping path to find the weeds. It does no good to apply the herbicide to most but not all of the weeds, as they simply seed and cause problems again.
- 5
  Use the herbicide when wind is calm and plants are dry. Completely saturate the leaves and stems. Treat again at the first sign of reappearance of the weeds.

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