Weed Management in Blueberries¹

Pre-emergence

Common name

(Trade name)

Pounds active ingredient per acre

Time of application

Dichlobenil

(Casoron 4G)

4 to 6

Weeds Controlled and Remarks: Annual broadleaf weeds and grasses. Follow application immediately with shallow mechanical incorporation. Do not use on light sandy soil. Do not apply until 4 weeks after transplanting. Do not graze livestock in treated areas. Do not apply within 1 month of harvest.

Oryzalin

( Oryzalin or Surflan) 4AS

2 to 4

Treat after the ground has settled and no cracks are present following transplanting but before spring weeds emerge. Do not apply when fruit are present.

Weeds Controlled and Remarks: Annual grasses and small seeded broadleaf weeds. Existing vegetation should be tilled prior to application or destroyed by a contact herbicide. A single ½ to 1" rainfall or sprinkler irrigation is necessary to move surflan into the zone of weed seed germination. Do not apply to a newly established planting until soil has settled and no cracks are present.

Simazine

(Princep, Simazine) 90WDG

2 to 4

Early spring or split application in the spring and fall.

Weeds Controlled and Remarks: Controls certain annual grasses and broadleaf weeds. Do not apply when fruit is present. Rate depends on soil texture. Do not use on sand, loamy sand, or gravelly soils.

Terbacil

(Sinbar) 80 WP

0.4 to 1.6

Apply either in the spring before fruit set or in the early fall either before weeds emerge or during early seedling stage.

Weeds Controlled and Remarks: Controls annual grasses and broadleaf weeds with partial control of perennials at higher rates. Do not use on plants established less than one year. Use and amount of product used will vary according to soil texture and organic matter (see label). Do not use on sand or loamy sand with 3% or less organic matter. Avoid contact of foliage and fruit with spray or mist. Do not use on eroded areas where subsoil or roots are exposed. Do not use on unhealthy bushes.

Pre-emergence - non-bearing only

Common name

(Trade name)

Pounds active ingredient per acre

Time of application

Isoxaben

(Gallery)

See label

Newly planted and established (4 weeks after transplanting) non-bearing plantings.

Weeds Controlled and Remarks: Do not apply to newly planted bushes until soil has settled by packing and irrigation, or rainfall and no cracks are present. Apply in at least 10 gallons per acre. Can tank mix with Surflan for broad spectrum control. Non-bearing plants only (no harvest expected within one year of application).

Isoxaben

+

Trifluralin

(Snapshot) 2.5G

See label

Non-bearing plantings.

Weeds Controlled and Remarks: Allow soil to settle after planting before application. Apply with a drop or rotary spreader. Non-bearing plants only (no harvest expected within one year of application).

Post-emergence

Common name

(Trade name)

Pounds active ingredient per acre

Time of application

Glufosinate

(Rely) 1L

0.75 to 1.25

Weeds Controlled and Remarks: Do not allow spray to contact desirable foliage or green bark. Do not apply more than 12 qts. per acre in one year. Do not apply within 14 days of fruit harvest. Shield young plants from spray.

Glyphosate

(Various)

See label

Blueberry plants established for one year or more.

Weeds Controlled and Remarks: Postemergence activity only. Leaf, stem, or exposed root contact with spray can damage or kill crop. rainfall or irrigation after application in pinebark production systems can result in Gyphosate uptake and damage crop. No effective residual activity. Do not allow drift or mist to contact foliage, green bark, green canes or other desirable vegetation. Do not apply within 14 days of harvest. See label for restrictions on application equipment.

Paraquat

(Various)

0.56 to 1

Newly planted (shielded) and established blueberry plants.

Weeds Controlled and Remarks: Controls most annual grasses and broadleaf weeds. Perennial weeds are desiccated. Apply to emerged weeds when they are small. Use a non-ionic surfactant (see label). Apply as a coarse spray to avoid drift injury from fine spray mist. Avoid contact with desirable foliage or uncallused bark. Young plants must be shielded. Injury to green stems may increase incidence of stem blight.

Sethoxydim

(Poast) 1.5EC

0.3 to 0.5

Apply to actively growing grasses.

Weeds Controlled and Remarks: Controls most annual and perennial grasses under bearing and nonbearing bushes. Rates depend on type of grass to be controlled. See label for information on additives that increase herbicidal activity. Do not use more than 5 pt. per acre per year. Do not apply within 30 days of harvest. Does not control nutsedges.

Post-emergence - nonbearing only

Common name

(Trade name)

Pounds active ingredient per acre

Time of application

Clethodim

(Select) 2 EC

(Arrow) 2EC

0.09 to 0.125

Use on nonbearing crop only.

Weeds Controlled and Remarks: Postemergence control of grasses. Use non-ionic surfactant (see label). Best results when applied to actively growing grasses.

Fluazifop-butyl

(Fusilade) DX)

0.25 to 0.38

Apply before grasses are at a specific growth stage (refer to product label) in non-bearing blueberry plantings.

Weeds Controlled and Remarks: Controls certain annual and perennial grasses. For use with non-bearing plants only (harvest not expected within 1 year). Use with a crop oil or nonionic surfactant will be necessary (see label). May be used for site preparation. Does not control nutsedges. Do not apply over the top or crop injury will occur.