Q: I have lots of weeds in my orchard. I've tried hand pulling and a high concentration of vinegar without much success to get rid of the stinging nettle, horsetail, hemlock, and wild radishes. Can I use herbicides?
A: So, what is a weed? It is a plant that is out of place, unwanted, or interferes with crop or livestock production. Weeds can also protect and restore exposed soils, provide habitat for beneficial organisms, such as pollinators, make nutritious food and fodder, and replenish and restore soil life.
Weed management includes hand pulling, mowing, decreasing the seed bank, and allowing them to grow in a controlled manner. Using herbicides is another tool in the toolbox and are effective when applied with knowledge and safety. Here are some resources for you about the identified weeds and the use of herbicides/pesticides. We encourage you to follow all directions and precautions when using chemicals so that you do not harm yourself or the environment.
Resources:
Weeds – Identifying and Controlling https://ucanr.edu/sites/hdnmastergardeners/Resources_for_Home_Gardeners/Weeds_-_Indifying_and_Controlling/
Weed Control in the Vegetable Garden
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/weed-control-vegetable-garden#herbicides
How to Manage Pests in Gardens and Landscapes, Burning & Stinging Nettles https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74146.html
Common Horsetail, U.S. Forest Service https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/equisetum_arvense.shtml#:~:text=Equisetum%20arvense%20range%20map.,Common%20Horsetail%20(Equisetum%20arvense)
It's True What They Say About Horsetails, Patricia Matteson, December 20, 2022 https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=55810
Horsetails Weed Report from the book Weed Control in Natural Areas in the Western United States
https://wric.ucdavis.edu/information/natural%20areas/wr_E/Equisetum.pdf
How to Manage Pests in Gardens and Landscapes, Poison Hemlock
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74162.html
UC IPM Pesticide Information, Active Ingredient: 2, 4-D
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/PNAI/pnaishow.php?id=3
Warning in the Use of Pesticides, https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/warning.html
UC IPM Weed Gallery – Wild Radish https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/WEEDS/wild_radish.html