Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Quality Deer Management Dog fennel in clover

One of my food plots is very good at growing dog fennel, but apparently not much else. Went out today to see what the recent rain has done to my food plots (NW Alabama, Franklin County).
I topped off a couple of small food plots this spring with rye and clover. Rye came up great but is now about done; clover still looks good.
One plot grows dog fennel to a height where by fall I'm driving blind pulling a bush hog with my 4-wheeler. I'd like to knock it down early this year, and before it goes to seed. The dog fennel is now about waist high and has not yet gone to seed. I can either cut it or spray it.
If I spray it, what can I use that won't hurt the clover?
Or, should I just glyco the plot and start over?
Or should I mow it and keep mowing it before it the fennel can go to seed?

Like I said, these are small plots and I work them with a 4-wheeler. I've got a rack-mounted sprayer and spreader, and a pull behind bush hog.

Any advice or suggestions would be much appreciated!

TIA--Dilbert

Depending on what your follow up plantings include, but Pursuit (Imazathapyr) or Beyond (Imazamox) may help. Rates are generally in the 4-6 oz/acre range. These will pretty much limit cereal grains to wheat this fall. Butyrac may suppress the dog fennel at higher rates but I doubt you get much control. You would want to spray early before it gets any larger. If you have chicory in the mix Butyrac is not kind to it.

Again, check the labels for rates and plant back restrictions.

Another option is to plant WMS Q clover, which is a variety of medium red clover, this fall and spray with regular 2,4-D next spring as the dog fennel starts to emerge. The Q clover I planted last fall looks great and the deer are loving it.

I hate to tell you but if you’ve had dogfennel each year then you have what I’d call a “research grade” stand. It is a perennial and once established is tough to kill with anything that won’t kill your clover. Unless someone has come up with a way to safely kill it and not other broadleaves, I’d get after it hard spraying and just plan to come back with grass plots this fall.

I had a plot full of fennel when we bought the camp property. I beat it back some with seasonal glyphosate applications in late summer, prepping for fall planting, but it was still very present. I got serious last spring and used a cool, calm morning to walk that plot(only 1/2ac) with my backpack sprayer and spot treat them. I think I saw two last trip up and they got hit on sight. I’m sure there’s plenty of seed in the soil but I don’t turn dirt anymore.

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What i used late last summer to kill everything but my clover - but i hear it will not touch fennel

I read you need herbicide with 2,4-D and also dicamba and metsulfuron-methyl to kill fennel

imazethapyr or 24d-b when it’s young/short. you can’t wait until it’s 4’ tall to wage that war.

or check out some of the wick systems for an atv/sxs

Thanks for all the advice! The plot is small enough I should be able to walk it with a backpack sprayer like Mdees suggested. Should have thought of that myself! Will be an effort but I need the exercise.