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Pasture Weed Spotlight: Buttercup
Have you seen your pastures filled with small yellow flowers in early spring in recent years? You are most likely seeing buttercup. Buttercup is a winter annual weed, germinating in the fall, growing throughout the winter, then flowering and producing seed in early spring. This plant is often seen in overgrazed pastures or poor forage stands. Seeing a strong stand of buttercup in your pastures indicates that you should evaluate your forage management decisions.
- Have you taken soil samples in the last three years? If so, did you apply lime and fertilizer at the recommended rates?
-What measures are you currently taking to prevent overgrazing in your pastures?
-What is your current stocking rate?
- Do you rotate your pastures?
-At what grazing height do you rotate your animals?
February and March are the best times to scout for buttercup in your pastures before it blooms. If you wait until after you see flowers, it may be too late for chemical control. For best results, apply herbicides according to label recommendations in the early spring (February-March) before you see flowers when the plants are small and actively growing. For best herbicide activity, wait until daytime air temperatures are above 50 F for two to three consecutive days.
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