Goat Weed Removal

Goat weed goes by the formal name of Scoparia dulcis but is also called licorice weed and sweet broom, according to the University of Florida Extension. The weed grows most often in pastures. It is a perennial and will continue to regrow year after year until you kill it. Removing goat weed requires the use of herbicides to kill the underground root system.

Things You'll Need

• Garden sprayer or crop sprayer
• Herbicide containing the ingredient of 2,4-D amine
• Water

Instructions

1. Wait until late April to remove goat weed, unless you are treating an area of limpograss, which can be treated from December to April.

2. Open up a 5-gallon or larger garden sprayer and fill it with 4 pints of an herbicide that contains the active ingredient 2,4-D amine. This amount will treat 1 acre of land. If needed, increase the herbicide amount at a rate of 4 pints per acre to be treated.

3. Add in the amount of water indicated on the herbicide bottle to dilute the concentration of the product.

4. Close the garden sprayer and take it to the area of infestation. Spray the entire area, concentrating on the goat weed. Spray the herbicide until the leaves and stems of all vegetation are thoroughly wet.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are treating large pastures, use an industrial crop sprayer instead of a garden sprayer.

References

• Oklahoma State University: Pasture Weed Control FAQ
• University of Florida Extension: Goatweed Biology and Control in Pastures