Can someone recommend something that will kill young mesquite trees?

Remedy in the standard mix of 1 part Remedy/3 parts diesel has worked well for me. Basal (trunk/bark) application is all that is needed.

http://texnat.tamu.edu/about/brush-busters/mesquite/

Shred 'em down.

mouth shredding has only worked as a temporary solution in the past. i want to get ride of them as best i can. thanks everyone for your suggestions.

Hence the wink face. Remedy and diesel is the only sure-fire solution, and if you've shredded them already you're going to have to hunt down all the runners and spray them as well.

Remedy is definitely the way to go. I used that stuff to eradicate cactus on our game ranch. Hill country cactus is no match for it. I mix 8oz of remedy to 1 gallon diesel and lightly cover the cactus. They almost immediately start to change to a darker green color and within a few months are just dust. Only drawback that it, along with most pasture friendly defoliants, is expensive. Plan on spending about $100/gallon.

Define "young". Depending on the size, growth type (single stem vs. 12 stemmed monsters), and the density, there may be totally different ways to attack this. When were they last shredded?

Yep - remedy/diesel only sure fire way to go. Been on that holiest of holy crusades against the mesquite hoards for years. We have a couple of backpack spray rigs that we wear when we get after them and a guy with a dozer to pile them up.

As dry as it's been, we've been focussing on clearing them away from the stock tanks and it's an neverending battle to keep then back.

Long time in the past. Prolly several years ago by my grandfather while he was still healthy. And now i'm trying to help my grandmother keep the place from being over grown by them. So there won't have to be much hunting to find little ones as most prolly have three years growth on them and the field has recently been grazed down by cows. Though all are approx 1.5" in diameter or less and not very thick. Most are pretty spread out so there aren't a whole lot that are clumped together. I most of the ones that I looked at were few or single stemmed ones. I did not look at every single one.

Theoretically, fire would thin them periodically, but we're seeing right now what happens when you put people's property into the mix.

If you're going to try to do a stem treatment, the bark has to be smooth, as it won't work on rough bark mesquite. The foliar treatment is cheaper, and you'll get about 70% kill as long as the leaves have darkened and aren't their bright green color. If you're just going to be treating mesquite, Reclaim is the best thing for them. Although it's pricey, it works great. As long as you keep at them, you will eventually kill them, but it takes time.
Rhino, if you're just going after pear, remedy is really expensive for that, and there are better products out there for that.

[This message has been edited by HTownAg98 (edited 5/4/2011 11:38a).]

[This message has been edited by HTownAg98 (edited 5/4/2011 11:38a).]

As the price of diesel keeps climbing I find myself using leaf method more with Reclaim/Remedy/water.

http://pestman.tamu.edu/

lightsaber

yeah i just have to finish building mine and we'll be all good.

Foliar = Remedy/Reclaim mix. Works well on multi-stemmed plants that are happy and healthy.

Stem Treatment = Remedy/diesel mix provided they are not low growing multi-stemmed monsters. This is really a good way to go since weather and stress (drought) doesn't have as big an effect. Just be sure to get the chemical on all sides of the stem.

Spraying with Reclaim/Remedy mix this morning (before the wind started blowing 90 mph !). If you have shredded them you need to wait a couple of years before spaying. Get in touch with your County Agent or local USDA office..should give you all the technical assistance you need.

Remedy has actually dropped in price the last two yrs, now at $65/gal locally (Producers in Bryan).
I add dye as needed to minimize errant spraying, though red diesel can be enough of a visual indicator to work okay.

A basal treatment heavy on the diesel will work on rough barked trees, just takes a little more and a little longer. If you're used to seeing small trees wither in a week, the month it takes to kill the bigs seems like you didn't do anything. We also found that if you can get into the heart of the tree, i.e. cut into the core or break it at a weak branch angle and spray the exposed parts it works well too. I applaud you're efforts and shudder at the thought of the hundred or so gallons of remedy that I have had the privilege of putting out over course of my life

Earl is right on the thick, rough bark trees. I have killed 8 inch + diameter mesquites with the Remedy/diesel basal method. I used a 25% Remedy solution and put it on thick. It will kill the big trees if you get enough on there, and stay after it.

Remedy and Reclaim cocktail works awesome. And it's way cheaper than diesel. Also doesn't kill the grass in the vicinity.

ive used remedy/reclaim, the only thing I added was dye soes i could sees where i sprayed.


better just plan on sprayin every other yr to keep em down

I would recommend Hellfire as surfactant.

Have had GREAT success with cutting them off about a foot above the ground and immediately spraying the stump and cut with Remedy & diesel. It is a lot of work, we use a straight shaft weedeater with a round blade that has chainsaw teeth on it to cut and a backpack sprayer to spray. My kill % is in the high 90's. After about a year you can go back and just push the stumps out of the ground and burn them.

I'm completely unsure on this, but with the increasing popularity of mesquite furniture and floors, if you have large mature trees you might be able to make some good money having it harvested and then fighting the sprouts next year or later in the summer.