Works Best:
When you wish to control mesquite and yucca with the same treatment and at the same time.
When to Apply:
This method works best if used during the spring and summer.
1. Prepare Equipment
The herbicide spray can be applied with a pump-up garden sprayer, backpack sprayer, or sprayer mounted on a 4-wheel all-terrain vehicle (ATV). The spray gun should be tipped with a ConeJet™ 5500-X1 adjustable cone nozzle. To reduce clogging and dripping, place a 100-mesh screen/check valve behind the nozzle.
2. Mix the Herbicide with Diesel
Use a mixture of Remedy™ herbicide and diesel fuel oil or vegetable oil for yucca control. The oil ensures that the herbicide will cover the plant thoroughly and be absorbed into the plant. The recommended mixture is 15% Remedy™ and 85% diesel fuel or vegetable oil (see mixing table below). Using vegetable oil instead of diesel fuel oil increases the cost but may be desirable in some situations. One vegetable oil known to mix well with Remedy™ is JLB Oil Plus™. When mixing Remedy™ with oil, pour the required quantity of Remedy™ into a mixing container or spray tank and then add enough oil to get the total volume desired. Shake or agitate the mixture vigorously until it is thoroughly mixed.
A “pre-mix” of Remedy™ and vegetable oil also is available. This “pre-mix” is called Remedy RTU™. To use this product, simply pour Remedy RTU™ from the container into the sprayer and apply to yucca following the Brush Busters directions for the Remedy + Oil Whorl Spray.
Mixing Table
| Herbicide | % Herbicide | Amount of Remedy™/Gallon(s) Mixed* | ||
| 1 gal. | 5 gal. | 10 gal. | ||
| Remedy™ | 15% | 19 oz. | 3 qt. | 1.5 gal. |
*The herbicide is mixed with diesel fuel or vegetable oil.
One ounce of Hi-Light™ blue spray-marking dye can be added for each gallon of spray mix or Remedy RTU™ to help identify treated plants.
3. Spray the Yucca
The Remedy + Oil Whorl Spray is most effective if applied during the growing season. Make sure your spray gun is equipped with the 5500-X1 nozzle. Position the nozzle in the center of each whorl and spray for at least 2 seconds (slowly say “one Mississippi, two Mississippi: while depressing the trigger on the spray gun).
The Remedy + diesel fuel mix will be the least expensive combination of herbicide and oil – about 2 cents per plant if applied properly. The cost will be higher if vegetable oil or Remedy RTU™ is used.
Keep these points in mind:
- Follow the directions on the herbicide label.
- The cost of treatment escalates rapidly as the number of yucca plants and whorls per acre increases.
- This method will also control smooth-bark mesquite when applied as a stem spray (see Extension publication L-5144, “How to Beat Mesquite”).
- Do not spray when yuccas are wet.