Electric fence earthing on weeds

PatQfarmer

Been watching the electric fence push out a weaker and weaker signal over the last few weeks, as the weeds grow over the lower strand of wire.
Now they are soaked in rain, it'll probably disappear altogether!
Wish I had minded the aul' fella's finger bar mower:D
Do ye spray under the wire or cut it?
I'm facing into a long number of hours with a strimmer:(

Muckit

You could fit cut off switches to kill the power to the lower strand at this time of the year. Once you've all the weeds strimmed back, turn it back on again. Are the fences around by a hedge? Briars and woody weeds really drain power more than grass.

Do you have calves or sheep? If you didn't you could change the bottom wire to just an earth wire.

PatQfarmer

Muckit wrote: »

You could fit cut off switches to kill the power to the lower strand at this time of the year. Once you've all the weeds strimmed back, turn it back on again. Are the fences around by a hedge? Briars and woody weeds really drain power more than grass.

Do you have calves or sheep? If you didn't you could change the bottom wire to just an earth wire.

All ages!
Have a bundle of young calves that will walk under the top strand if I turn off the bottom. But you are right, they are only on part of the farm now, so I could isolate 3/4's of it, thanks:D
Never knew the woody weeds were worse than grass. Perhaps the slasher would be better than the strimmer so;)

grumpyfarmer

Spray with grazon 90 when the weeds are young green and growing... otherwise its the strimmer could be worse could be a slash hook...

PatQfarmer

grumpyfarmer wrote: »

Spray with grazon 90 when the weeds are young green and growing... otherwise its the strimmer could be worse could be a slash hook...

See Muckit above...it IS the slash hook:)

johngalway

PatQfarmer wrote: »

See Muckit above...it IS the slash hook:)

I think he upgraded to a scythe lately

Doubles as his micro zero grazer rig

bbam

We use a petrol hedge trimmer. Handy, light yet will cut a good range of material without bother.
In fairness were not fencing hundreds of acres but it works well.

PatQfarmer

bbam wrote: »

We use a petrol hedge trimmer. Handy, light yet will cut a good range of material without bother.
In fairness were not fencing hundreds of acres but it works well.

Jeez, does it not break your back bending down below the bottom wire with that?

Muckit

PatQfarmer wrote: »

Jeez, does it not break your back bending down below the bottom wire with that?

You'd want to be careful too not to catch the bottom wire between the blades

bbam

PatQfarmer wrote: »

Jeez, does it not break your back bending down below the bottom wire with that?

Nope..
Brother does the tough ones ..:D

Username John

bbam wrote: »

Nope..
Brother does the tough ones ..:D

Then surely what PatQ needs more than anything is "a brother"

Manoffeeling

Is it ok to spray roundup on the bottom of drains? They are only cleaned in the last 3 years, but loads of briars starting to appear on the banks with loads of grass at the bottom. Also, will roundup kill furs?

bbam

Username John wrote: »

Then surely what PatQ needs more than anything is "a brother"

they're handy all right...

I shouldn't snear... Following a car accident a few years ago where I busted my neck and back in a few places I rely on the brother completly.. If it's anything more than looking at stock or feeding the odd bale I need help

bob charles

Manoffeeling wrote: »

Is it ok to spray roundup on the bottom of drains? They are only cleaned in the last 3 years, but loads of briars starting to appear on the banks with loads of grass at the bottom. Also, will roundup kill furs?

dont do it, once you kill the grass its open season for every weed to grow. a good carpet of grass under the wire is what you should be trying to achieve

Username John

bbam wrote: »

they're handy all right...

I shouldn't snear... Following a car accident a few years ago where I busted my neck and back in a few places I rely on the brother completly.. If it's anything more than looking at stock or feeding the odd bale I need help

Oh, ****e, sorry to hear that Bbam.
I did meself "a mischief" last year, tore muscles in me back, only a small thing - healed up after a while. But I found I was very helpless for a good bit.
Now I know this is nothing to long term back problems - but it made appreciate my back / health a lot more...

Manoffeeling

bob charles wrote: »

dont do it, once you kill the grass its open season for every weed to grow. a good carpet of grass under the wire is what you should be trying to achieve

So what you are saying is Grazon on 90 only for fence and drains?

I have a good bit to do and thought that total annihilation would be the best job!

How much is a litre of Grazon or bushkill?

johngalway

Manoffeeling wrote: »

How much is a litre of Grazon

From €45 upwards.

Muckit

johngalway wrote: »

From €45 upwards.

Priced it at €50 inour local hardware the other day Heard alot of lads on here using it. Never used it before myself. Is it good stuff John for spot spraying docks with a knapsack?

johngalway

No idea how it is on docks, it's great for creeping gorse, heard it's good for thistles too, not clover friendly though.

JohnBoy

massive on nettles also.

I'm planning on spending a few hours sunday morning tipping around with the quad sprayer in the jeep, and probably the knapsack too.

spot spraying docks in the silage regrowth, round the ditches, and in corners,

Cant take the jeep through the reseed so will do those bits with the knapsack.

bob charles

stick in a bit of sticker along with recommended levels of grazon type products, couldn't tell you how much it is, just stuck it on my spray account.

johngalway

bob charles wrote: »

stick in a bit of sticker along with recommended levels of grazon type products, couldn't tell you how much it is, just stuck it on my spray account.

About 60c for a litre bottle of cheap washing up liquid

Muckit

bob charles wrote: »

stick in a bit of sticker along with recommended levels of grazon type products, couldn't tell you how much it is, just stuck it on my spray account.

Activator90 is around €15 for 1L last time I bought it. Good idea alright.

http://www.agriculturalconsultant.net/store/images/products/originals/52_80_activitor90.jpg

JohnBoy

For most spays (any I've tried at least)

if you google the name and label, you get the datasheet on the product normally as the first result.

eg: grazon 90 label

I find it handy when trying to figure this stuff out.


@johngalway: how much wash up liquid per litre water?



edit: and thirty seconds later curiousity got the better of me. €15 of activator 90 will make 1000 litres of spray.

Label here: http://www.desangosse.co.uk/labels/Activator-90-use-label.pdf

johngalway

JohnBoy wrote: »

@johngalway: how much wash up liquid per litre water?

I don't really measure it, just put in a few good squirts, seems to work though. Last year I was spraying rushes with mortone, bit of a dodgy day but anyone remember last year? Anyway, came a bit wet just when I was finishing the tank and though that's it, have to do them again. They all went and died Was spraying creeping gorse with grazon 90 this year, forecast was for dry, but again just as I finished they got 5.5-6 hours of heavy drizzle, they're turning a lovely brown colour for me now.

DMAXMAN

good on docks thistles and nettles. good also on briars(the type that grow on ditches ,not walk around).is only a spot spray for weeds as the rate of triclopyr is high compare to thistlex or forefront.as regards the wetter if you are spraying on a good day you probably wont need one but do spray it on as a fine spray from the knapsack to get best uptake. works out economical enough as 1l will do 10 sixteen litre sprayer tanks.:cool:forot to say it will also do bracken as the triclopyr thats in it is the same ingredient as in asulox

Manoffeeling

DMAXMAN wrote: »

good on docks thistles and nettles. good also on briars(the type that grow on ditches ,not walk around).is only a spot spray for weeds as the rate of triclopyr is high compare to thistlex or forefront.as regards the wetter if you are spraying on a good day you probably wont need one but do spray it on as a fine spray from the knapsack to get best uptake. works out economical enough as 1l will do 10 sixteen litre sprayer tanks.:cool:forot to say it will also do bracken as the triclopyr thats in it is the same ingredient as in asulox

Will it kill fur saplings?

Muckit

ootbitb

was in hospital some years ago with a guy in his sixties with organ problems he blamed on spraying fields. Made worse as the tractor was cabless.

I have a bag of salt leftover from last winter so am going to try this recipe for the craic.

from
http://connemaracroft.blogspot.ie/2010/07/homemade-organic-garden-chemicals.html


WEEDKILLER / HERBICIDE
While there are many different recipes out there for a homemade weed killer most of them are based off of the following:
• 1 litre of white vinegar.
• 60 grammes of table salt.
• 1 squirt of washing up liquid.

Mix everything together making sure the salt is completely dissolved.
You can then pour this into a spray bottle or one of those weed sprayers you can get at any garden center.

You spray this solution directly on the weeds you want to get rid of preferably on a hot day in full sun for best results. One thing to remember with this solution is to not get it on anything you don’t want to kill.

It is non-selective in what it kills meaning it will kill any plant life it comes in contact with and it will sterilize the soil for up to two years depending on how much you get on the soil.

Please pay particular attention to this, the salt in the solution is what makes the soil uninhabitable for weed seedlings which are still to come.
If you wish to effectively poison your soil to new sowings and plantings for approx two years, then add the the salt element, if not omit it.
So with salt is best for patios, gravel drive etc, basically all areas designed to be free of growth, whereas without salt is better for beds, borders, lawns and veg areas, where you intend to plant again.

Also be aware that this solution cannot be sprayed wholesale over lawns to kill just weeds, as it is indiscriminate in its damage to both weed and grass. On a lawn it is better suited to spot treatment
If you are concerned about getting the vinegar solution on your desirable plants you can use a cloth to wipe the solution on the leafy parts of the weeds.

This will keep any of the solution from coming in contact with the plants you want to keep.

If you use this method it is advisable to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the acidic affects of the vinegar.
If you don’t want to use this formula for a homemade weed killer then you can always rely on the tried and true method of hand-pulling any weeds you find in your landscape. Eventually the weeds lose the ability to create enough food for their roots to continue to grow and their roots will die off. This actually works best if you don’t have a lot of weeds in your drive or garden.

DISCLAIMER: ( I have been advised to put this in)
Under Irish and EU law it is illegal to use any preparation as a pesticide/fungicide/herbicide that is not approved for such use.
The information here is for reference only and does not imply a recommendation for use.
If you disregard this warning and make any of the preparations, you do so entirely at your own risk.
The author and the website accepts no responsibility for how a user may mix, use, store, or any effects the mixture or its elements may have on people, plants or the environment.

=============

PatQfarmer

So I did as bbam suggested and walked the bounds with the petrol hedgetrimmer. Mindful of Muckit's advice that the woody contacts are the power-sappers. Trimmed back hedge where it had grown out to wire and cut all along underneath. Then said to hell with it and got out the strimmer to do under the double wires in the calf paddocks.
Power increased by 2,500volts, so a good job, methinks.
Only problem is a bloomin' wrist sprain from a day of "garden-type" maintenance.:(
Thanks for the advice;)
Still thinking a finger-bar might be the job again. DoneDeal here I come:D

Re Grazon90, a great job on thistles, docks and nettles, imo. Will definitely spray it under wire next Spring.

AMurph1979

What kind of weeds are they ?
You can spray them but use a selective herbicide, not something that will kill the grass otherwise you will have twice the problem next year.

Muckit

Good job PatQfarmer. There is great satisfaction and peace of mind out of having an electric fencer throwing out the volts! That petrol hedgetrimmer sounds the job, especially for briars.

I've experienced my fencer arching current alot in wet weather. I have to be very careful opening gate handles or I get zapped!

I have one length of two row electric that I erected 10 years ago. I made the mistake that time of putting the bottom row too low to the ground. I remember legwax posted a pic of his fence before and the bottom strand was only about 12-14" from the top one, a better job I think.

I disconnected the current from my own bottom line the other evening. Made a nice difference.

PatQfarmer

Muckit wrote: »

That petrol hedgetrimmer sounds the job, especially for briars.

I've experienced my fencer arching current alot in wet weather. I have to be very careful opening gate handles or I get zapped!

I have one length of two row electric that I erected 10 years ago. I made the mistake that time of putting the bottom row too low to the ground. I remember legwax posted a pic of his fence before and the bottom strand was only about 12-14" from the top one, a better job I think.

The petrol hedgetrimmer is a great machine, but it can get heavy after a day hauling it around:rolleyes:
You must have great current to have it arcing through gates!
As I was doing the trimming and strimming, I raised most of the bottom wire, which was definitely too low. That said, I'm sure that when I let the youngest calves out next Spring, I'll be putting it back down again or the feckers will be out:D
I also extended my earth and put in 2 more earth-posts. That didn't have much effect, I thought it would.:(