Prickly pear, as well as other cactus species, is a common problem in pastures. It is not an uncommon sight to have many cacti growing out in a pasture. They can interfere with the movement of livestock and cause serious health problems.
Along with this, they can overtake a pasture very quickly and strangle out more desirable forages. Once they have taken hold, it will take a lot of work and many years in order to get them under control. Even with all of the work that you can put in, you will never get rid of them completely.
Because of this, they pose a very serious problem for livestock producers wherever they appear. Here are some things to consider before controlling this troublesome plant.
Understanding Prickly pear
Many species of cactus belong to the same genus as this variety. Due to their adaption to different types of environments, they can take on various forms. Despite these differences, they generally have the same kind of characteristics.
They grow a type of pad covered with spines, which is the most common way to identify them. These are broad, flat green to grey-green succulents that are either oval or rounded. The pads can vary from 6 to 12 inches in width, depending on the specific type. They are often shrubby type in nature. They grow in a clump that can be up to 4 feet wide and can get to 12 feet tall.
Each pad has the ability to reproduce a new plant. Reproduction from each pad is the most common way in which prickly pear is spread. These can happen by high winds, hard rains, or just attaching to vehicles or animal furs. All required is a pad to have contact with the ground to develop a new root system. The ease at which this plant can spread is what makes it a particularly challenging problem to deal with.
Prickly pear is very adaptable to arid and semiarid regions, even though some species have been found in places such as Florida. The waxy coating on its stems allows it to tolerate a wide range of temperatures. And thrive in water-limited environments. Their ideal growth conditions generally occur in areas with high sunlight and warm temperatures. These can be found on south-facing slopes and rocky outcroppings.
Controlling prickly pear
When it comes to getting prickly pear growth under control, there are many methods that you can use. How you choose will depend on the resources and available time.
Physical methods
Physical methods can work if you are dealing with a small area or not a lot of prickly pear growing in the area. All this would require is either a grubbing hoe or a shovel. Cut the plant’s primary root 2 to 4 inches below the surface to get the whole plant. It is best to do this method during hot and dry conditions. Doing so in those conditions will put the maximum amount of stress on the plant. You can either pile the plants up and burn them or bag them and remove them from the area. Whatever you do, make sure that no part of the plant is left touching the ground, or it will re-sprout.
Mechanical Methods
Many methods, such as disking, chaining, or root plowing, will destroy the top growth, but because of how well it can spread, you may have a more dense-growing of prickly pear. Sometimes, ranchers may consider mulching/grinding or two-way railing for control. As with the physical control method, it is best to do this during hot and dry conditions to get the most effective result.
If you are using mechanical methods to control prickly pears, clean equipment thoroughly to prevent the spread of the pad to other areas of your ranch.
Prescribed burning
There are certain species of prickly pear that are more susceptible to burning than others. For this method to be effective, there must be a good amount of fine fuel to ensure this fire is burning hot. If the fire does not get hot enough or last long enough, then you will really only get a top kill. New pads will grow back from the surviving tissue, and you will be back at square one in about 3 to 5 years.
Aerial spraying
This method is a good one to use if you are needing to treat a very wide open area or if it is an area that is hard to get into with other methods. Though for aerial spraying to be effective, it is recommended to do this either in the spring or fall because cactus is a cool-season plant. Using Surmount at a rate of 4 pints per acre has been shown to provide about 75% control of cactus with aerial spraying.
Pad or Stem spray method
This method works better on relatively thin strands of cactus. Strands such as along a fence line or in a small concentrated area of the pasture. Unlike the aerial method, producers can use this one year-round. The Brush Busters program with the Texas AgriLife Extension program recommends using Tordon 22K. The recommended mixture for this method is 1% Tordon to water.
You will spray the pads or stems of the cactus till they are almost wet, but not to the point of runoff. Spraying both sides of the pad will result in more consistent and faster results.
One drawback of using this method is that the complete killing of the plant will take a little time. Though the pads will start to yellow very quickly, the entire plant typically takes 2 to 3 years to die.
If you are looking for ways to make your spraying more effective, I discuss that here.
Controlling strategies
Since each treatment method has pros and cons, using any of the abovementioned methods will require careful planning. Those areas with small infestations should receive priority treatment.
If you are dealing with larger infestation areas, you should begin by treating the outside perimeter of the area. Then work your way into the center.
It is essential to keep in mind that one year of treatment will not completely eradicate prickly pear. Acceptable levels of control will usually take 2-3 years of repeated treatments, with follow-up treatments taking an additional 2-3 years.
