Remedy vs Crossbow for HNS

[bjohnson]

Now that season is over my uncle and I are going after some poplar, sweet gum, elm, maple, and ironwood on our family farm. Which herbicide works best for these species using the hack and squirt method? I understand that Remedy does not contain the 2,4d but is pure triclopyr. Whereas Crossbow has triclopyr and 2,4d. Or if something works better but we're trying to stay away from imazypyr. We will use diesel for a binding agent.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I use Tordon personally because it's something I can actually get locally.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Triclopyr. Garlon 4 (the ester not the amine).

Terminal.

 

[FISH]

remedy for sure

 

[bjohnson]

Triclopyr. Garlon 4 (the ester not the amine).

Terminal.

Remedy is ester I believe.

 

[ttf909]

Thought the garlon was 3,a

I had good luck with Tordon.

 

[Ski]

Tordon works well. I use it on tree of heaven and it does fairly well so it should have zero issues killing domestic trees. I've not used crossbow but hear good things about it.

 

[megalomaniac]

Another trick.

A tad more labor intensive, but cheap...

Just pack a cordless drill with a 3/8in bit. Drill a hole in the base of the tree 2.5in deep at a 45d angle and squirt straight 38% gly into it. May need a couple to 3 holes for bigger trees.

 

[MickThompson]

Thought the garlon was 3,a

I had good luck with Tordon.

Garlon comes in ester and amine formulations. Amine is more water soluble and preferred for hack and squirt. Remedy (ester) is recommended for basal oil.

Dr Harper at UT recommends Garlon 3a with a little imazapyr kick. Maples, sweet gum, and elm are notoriously hard to kill

 

[Ski]

Hack-n-squirt has a place but IMO is wasteful on many levels. It essentially leaves a dead tree to rot in place. The only benefit you get is the sunlight.

Alternatively by simply cutting the tree you put all the treetop buds on the ground to feed deer through the winter, then in spring the stump sends ultra nutritious suckers that deer gorge themselves on. Logs can be dragged out for timber and/or firewood. Tops can then be pushed into burn or rot piles. You still get the sunlight and subsequent eventual forbs, but you also get immediate food and cover and potentially valuable forest product from the logs.

That said, cutting the trees requires more initial work that requires the ability to get equipment in to handle the debris. In my case my tractor and UTV handle it all but I use hack-n-squirt in the places I cannot get them into. If at all possible I would rather cut the tree. There's a place for both approaches.