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Orchard weed management strategies

Pest management in long-term perennial systems is extremely complicated by pest carry-over from one season to the next. As we are approaching harvest or presently harvesting, it is very important to plan your orchard sanitation and weed management strategies. Weeds directly impact pest abundance in orchards because they act as hosts for insects and diseases.

Orchard Floor Management (OFM) or weed control has become predominately herbicide-based because cultivation damages feeder roots. Cultivation also promotes soil compaction, erosion and the mechanical injuries associated with operator error.

Apply post-emergence herbicides to clean up your orchards after harvest or a minimum of two weeks prior to harvest (watch pre-harvest intervals). When preparing for a post-emergent herbicide application in your orchard, you should scout to determine what weeds are present, their growth stage and whether or not they are actively growing. To obtain the best weed control, apply herbicides to only actively growing weeds. Applications to large weeds or weeds that are not in susceptible growth stages will result in poor control. Make sure you read the label carefully. Avoid applying herbicides to stressed weeds. Mowed weeds should be allowed to re-grow before herbicide application. If weeds have been under drought stress, wait several days after rainfall until weeds are no longer wilted and are actively growing.