Hoary Alysum in Horse Pastures

Hoary alysum, Berterona incana, causes horses to founder if they graze on it. This article, part of the Members Area organic and magical gardening series, outlines some tips for getting rid of hoary alysum in pasture lands.

The good news is that hoary alysum is an annual, so all you have to worry about is it reseeding itself to grow next year. Being a brassicaceae (in the mustard family) the seeds will be held high on the stems, in this case in flattened oval pods.

Easy, Free & Fairly Effective Solution
If you go into the field before most of the pods dry and open, cut them off, collect the stems and pile them up away from the field to burn or compost, you will considerably impact next year's crop.

The following year, be sure to stomp on any sprouts you see coming up, and pull any large plants before or during their flowering cycle. They are easy to identify during their flowering cycle, and you can get photographs of them through your local extension agent or through a quick search on the internet. Eliminating live plants will of course prevent more seeds from forming, and after three years of persistence, you should have a pasture relatively free of them.

Fairly Easy, Inexpensive & Very Effective
An easier, organic, and very ancient method would be to burn the field. This can increase fertility immensely, but check for local regulations and get an experienced person(s) to help. It is standard to alert the fire marshal if you intend to do this so their department can observe and assist. If you burn, you will want to reseed with a good pasture mix to help replace any annual seeds destroyed in the fire. Check your local vet and/or farm store for recommendations of reseeding mixes. If you can't find a mix, usually a combination of timothy grass, fescue, bromegrass and clover is recommended.

Requires Equipment, Less Easy, Very Expensive & Very Effective
Another method is to lay down an organic pre-emergent. This prevents seeds from sprouting, and there are several organic versions made from soybean or corn proteins. This is quite costly, but when used properly, quite effective. A pre-emergent will only allow perennial grasses and weeds to come back, so it may also eliminate desirable annual grasses, etc.

Requires Equipment, Less Easy, Inexpensive & Fairly Effective
Another method some ranchers around our area use, is to cut the pasture very short and overseed it with a good pasture mix right before rains in the spring or fall. New plants can crowd out the less desirable weeds.

Requires Equipment, Less Easy, Inexpensive & Very Effective
Another variation of the method above is to cut, then burn, then overseed. This method is probably the least expensive (except cutting the heads off by hand) and most organically effective.

Requires Equipment, Difficult, Expensive & Very Effective
Finally, the last method is complete pasture renovation. Have the soil tested at the local extension agency or lab, purchase any lime or necessary amendments, then till the entire pasture.

Wait until seeds already present sprout and a green fuzz covers the land when you view it from a distance. Till the sprouts under (eliminates some of the weeds & undesirables) and then plant a good pasture mix suited to your location. A good mix will crowd out most of the remaining undesirables.

Complete pasture rennovation is extremely expensive and very labor intensive, so you might want to check around for even more alternatives like the ones listed above before complete rennovation. Contact universities, extension agencies, government agencies, farmers' co-ops and other local resources for additional information.

Copyright © 2007 by PaganPath.com, A. Minahan (Volute) and K. Minahan (AbaKus). This article is used with permission and may be freely distributed on the internet, provided no editing is done, and this unaltered notice is included with the article. Click here to read more articles and to learn more about taking online courses in Witchcraft, Tarot or Herbs

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