Awkward project
Dealing with Bathurst Burr
· Bathurst Burr are a persistent weed but can be eliminated
· Both chemical and non-chemical control techniques have merit
· A one-time burr control method isn’t enough
· Some elimination techniques encourage the burr to regrow
· Use the season conditions to support your efforts
Summary
Bathurst burr are a persistent invasive thisle that are hard to eliminate. Their seeds can be active in the ground for up to seven years. But you can win the battle over time by understanding the burr’s natural growth cycle and applying the right management technique at the right stage of growth of the burr.
If the burr seed hasn’t set, chemical spraying, chipping the bur out, low ground mowing and just working-up the ground works. If the seeds are set on the plant, it’s a tougher road to eliminate the burr. All techniques have the plus and minuses. The key is to get a plan and use the seasonal conditions to your advantage.
Understanding Bathurst Burr – a frontier plant.
To understand the techniques that work to eliminate Burr, first let’s understand the plant. Its frontier species that love it tough. They thrive in ground that gets disturbed. Disturbed – the ground is dug up by man, machine or by animals. They love the hot weather and jump out of the ground at the first summer rain when most other plants have “passed out” due to the hot weather – so no competition. The spiky thorns mean it’s to hard for animals to graze on. And the burr velcro like fur means they stick to anything they touch and travel for miles.
And lastly, the seeds last in the ground dormant for up to seven years, just waiting for the right conditions to germinate. So, managing them is not a one-off event.
With this insight, the reason success and failure of various management techniques become clear.
Burr Management Techniques – Pros and Cons
Chipping bur out by hand
It always feels good to chip out a burr. Some call it “burr fever,” but there is a down side. If the burr has no seeds on it thats great, but you have just disturbed the soil so with the next lot of rain, more burr at that spot say “happy days it must be my turn to germinate”. If the plant has seed on it, its hard to capture all the seeds, especially if you do it late in the season where they easily drop off.
Spraying with Chemicals
Yes, spraying works, and is best done when the plants are small and before there is any seed set. If you have seed set, sorry the bird has flown and you’ve got more seeds to deal with. Spot spraying is the go for low infestation. But if you have big problem area, boom spraying may be necessary. The downside of spraying only is that any seeds that are dormant in the ground are not treated and given half a chance, they will jump out of the ground before you say “boo.”
Mowing the burr off.
Yes, another good technique and does not use any chemicals. It works well if the plant has no formed seeds and you can mow just on ground level. No, slashers and garden mowers don’t get down that low. Using a flail mower is the go as you can cut down to ground level. It like being a gardener snipping off weeds, but doing it with a tractor. The upside is the burr plants are mostly killed off, and no are chemical used. The other win is that flail mowing mulches in all the rank taller grasses helping to retain water and set up you pasture for the future.
Ploughing up the burr.
Another good technique, and will definitely kill off the visible burr plants. But you have disturbed the soil so the dormant burr seed may be activated to take over instead.
Developing a Bathurst Bur Plan
Get a plan together is the key. Here a few tips and tricks to get you started when going around your property:
· If you see a burr, as a one-off deal with it there and then before it develops a seed. Chip it out or get some welding gloves and pull it out by hand. If you don’t get the roots don’t stress. Now that you know that location, do another pass in a few weeks or after some summer rain, but be persistent. If you’re not up for doing level of work, then its spot spraying being mindful of stock.
· Got too many to burr to deal with, best way to either boom spray or flail mow if the seeds have not set.
· If you have got seeds, or are up for encouraging a second burr germination cycle, then flail mowing down to include the top 10mm of your top soil will set up a great seed bed for burr seed germination. Burrs love disturbed soil and with the next rain event, you will have good germination which you can the flail mow or boom spray to kill the young plants. This can be repeated multiple times depending on the season rain and burr seed strike.
Awkward Rural Contracting has the equipment to help you get on top of you burr problems. Dealing with Bathurst burr takes persistence effort. If you understand the plant, you can treat the problem. At Awkward rural contacting, we are always up for a chat and offer free advice to help you map out a plan to beat the Burr. Always happy to help.