Crown Vetch. Anything to kill weeds and not the vetch?

[mattfromNY]

I have a customer with a very nice (very large) bank around her house, covered with vetch. Every year she has problems with golden rod and several other weeds 'taking over'. This year was especially bad, with all the rain we got, the weeds really established and looked awful.
I'm curious if there is anything to spray the bank with to kill the weeds, but not the vetch. I spoke with my local LESCO dealer, and he couldn't find anything.
I could probably 'paint' the weeds, but this is a very large area, and that method would be very costly to the customer. I dont think I could use Pre-M, b/c the vetch reseeds itself. Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks in advance,
Matt.

[Whitey4]

I think I might try adding new vetch seed... is this hairy vetch, the somewhat winter hard variety type? i believe it is... and this stuff usually will crowd out invading weeds, but it does have some disease issues. Admittedly, I don't know much about vetch, but if weeds are invading, maybe it's time to sow some new seed on the bank.How healthy did the vetch look this year? Black stem and root rot are common fungal problems with this plant. Mold can cause leaf spot damage... did the plants look healthy?

I might try, depending on your response, some fungicide and new seeds. this stuff is often grown with rye as pasture feed. I doubt there is a herbicide selective enough for this feed crop plant.

[RigglePLC]

Crown vetch infested with weeds--toughie--however--you might begin with a strong pre-emergent repeated 3 times per year. Stop all the annuals. Crown vetch spreads by rhizomes--no need to reseed itself.
http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/crops/g04510.htm
Anything tall can be treated with some kind of rope wick applicator. Is there a dormant period for the vetch? Maybe you can spray when it is dormant and knock out a few additional weeds. Also, experiment--Roundup is weak on legumes (like vetch). Treat a small area half strength--tell us what happens. You want your invading weeds to be small and vulnerable when you spray.

[RigglePLC]

Also--it seems it goes dormant in fall and sprouts from the roots. From U of Pennsylvania:
"It has a multi-branched root system similar to bromegrass and can spread by seed, as well as by its fleshy, rhizome like roots. Each growing season, new foliage shoots out from the multi-branched creeping root system. As winter approaches, the plant leaves and stems become dormant and change to a golden brown color until spring again brings the plant out of dormancy and it 'greens' up."

So maybe a burn down type of vegetation killer like Diquat or similar applied in fall would help you.

[RigglePLC]

And maybe you can mow it to reduce the weeds and seedling trees. Fall after dormant or spring before it starts up. Probably too thick. Or too steep. Crown vetch is an invasive plant in some states. Cattle and goats do not prefer it--but they will eat it.

[bug-guy]

have you looked at sethoxydim or fulsilade

grassey weed killer over the top

[CHARLES CUE]

I have a customer with a very nice (very large) bank around her house, covered with vetch. Every year she has problems with golden rod and several other weeds 'taking over'. This year was especially bad, with all the rain we got, the weeds really established and looked awful.
I'm curious if there is anything to spray the bank with to kill the weeds, but not the vetch. I spoke with my local LESCO dealer, and he couldn't find anything.
I could probably 'paint' the weeds, but this is a very large area, and that method would be very costly to the customer. I dont think I could use Pre-M, b/c the vetch reseeds itself. Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks in advance,
Matt.

You might want to look in a ag product that is used on clover to kill weeds. But in order to get a small amount you can buy it buy the Quart from one of these places that sell food plot seed for deer and other animal's we looked in to it one year its not cheap but better than buying a five gallon pale. dont remember the names you would have to do a search.
hope this helps Charles Cue

[CHARLES CUE]

try biggameproshop.com they have some trhing called slay
1 877 924 4426

[PSUTURFGEEK]

I would do as Riggle said and nail it a few times a year with highrates of snapshot, only plan on getting like 8-10,00m2 out of a 50# bag, also the idea of overseeding with vetch and innocculant is always a good idea.

[OBRYANMAINT]

we have some similar areas(1 acre or so)that we just hand weed a few times a year and over time the crown vetch chokes out what is left,we spend maybe 4-5 man hours twice a year with a very noticeabe difference