Works Best:
On saltcedars that are bushy, have many stems at ground level, and are less than 8 feet tall. This method has also been known as high-volume foliar spraying.
When to Apply:
July through September, or until leaves begin to turn yellow.
1. Prepare Equipment
You may use a pump-up garden sprayer, backpack sprayer, cattle sprayer, or sprayer mounted on 4-wheel-drive all-terrain vehicle (ATV). Backpack sprayers and ATV sprayers will be more efficient if there are many plants to spray. Make sure your sprayer has an adjustable cone nozzle (X6 to X8 orifice size) that can deliver a coarse spray (large droplets).
2. Mix Herbicide Spray
You can kill 76 to 100 percent of roots by spraying saltcedar with a mixture of the herbicides Arsenal™ and glyphosate.
To prepare the spray mix, add 1/2 percent concentrations of Arsenal™ and glyphosate to water (see table below). To ensure a thorough coating of the leaves, add a commercial surfactant or liquid dishwashing detergent to the spray mix. It is a good idea to add a dye, such as Hi-Light Blue Dye™, to mark plants that have been sprayed.
Recommended leaf spray for Saltcedar.
| Ingredient | Concentration in spray solution | Tank Size | ||
| 3 gal. | 14 gal. | 25 gal. | ||
| Arsenal™ | 1/2% | 2 oz. | 9 oz. | 16 oz. |
| Glyphosate | 1/2% | 2 oz. | 9 oz. | 16 oz. |
| Surfactant or dishwasing detergent | 1/4% | 1 oz. | 5 oz. | 8 oz. |
| Hi-Light Blue Dye™ | 1/4-1/2% | 1-2 oz. | 5-9 oz. | 8-16 oz. |
*All spray solutions are mixed in water. **Glyphosate is sold under several different trade names including Roundup™, Rodeo™, Glypro™ and Glyphos™.
3. Spray the Saltcedar
The best time to spray is July through September, as long as the leaves have not begun to turn yellow. For effective control, each plant must be thoroughly sprayed, almost to the point of dripping. Be sure to wet the terminal ends of all branches.
Keep these points in mind:
- Follow herbicide label directions.
- Do not spray if leaves have turned yellow.
- Do not spray if leaves are wet.
- Arsenal is labeled for saltcedar control only in the western half of Texas (check with the Texas Department of Agriculture if you are in doubt).
- Where spray may contact aquatic environments, use glyphosate and surfactant with appropriate aquatic labels.
- Check Arsenal label for restrictions on use related to endangered species and livestock grazing.
- If the leaf spray contacts desirable grasses, forbs and trees it will damage those plants.
- Cost of treatment increases rapidly as density and size of saltcedar increases.
- Controlling saltcedar is not a one-time job. You will need to go over your land now and then to get rid of unwanted saltcedar re-sprouts and seedlings.