Prickly pear as well as with other species of cactus are a common problem in pastures. 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. Because of this they pose a very serious problem for livestock producers wherever they show up.
Understanding Prickly pear
The name is often given to a number of species in the same genus and other types of cactus. Due to their adaption to different types of environments they can take on different forms. Despite these differences they generally have the same type of characteristics.
The most common way of identification is that they grow a type of pad that is covered in spines. These are broad, flat green to grey-green succulents that are either oval to rounded in shape. 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. Which is the most common method the prickly pear is spread. These can happen by high winds, hard rains, or just attaching to vehicles or animal furs. All is 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 particularly a tough problem to deal with.
Prickly pear is very adaptable to arid and semiarid regions. Though some species have been found in areas like in Florida. The waxy coating on it’s 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:
Physical methods
This 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 main root of the plant 2 to 4 inches below the surface to get the whole plant. It is best to do this method during hot and dry conditions. This 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 just 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. In some cases mulching/grinding or two-way railing may be considered 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 pear make sure to clean equipment thoroughly after 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. This method to be effective these must be a good amount of fine fuel to make sure this fire is burning really 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 to 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 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 a 75% control of cactus with aerial spraying.
Pad or Stem spray method
This method works better on relatively thin strands of cactus such as along a fence line or in a small concentrated area of the pasture. Unlike the aerial method this one can be used 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 are almost wet but not to the point of runoff. In order to get more consistent and faster results it is recommended to spray both sides of the pad.
One drawback of this using this method is that complete kill of the plant will take a little bit of time. Though the pads will start to yellow very quickly it typically takes 2 to 3 years for the entire plant to die.
If you are looking for ways to making your spraying more effective I discuss that here.
Controlling strategies
Since each treatment method has it’s own pros and cons using any of the methods discussed above will require careful planning. Small areas of infestation on otherwise clear areas should be given priority for treatment.
If you are dealing with of larger infestation areas then you should begin by treating the outside perimeter of the area and work your way into the center.
Which ever method you go with it is best to remember that prickly pear will not be completely eradicated within one year of treatment. Acceptable levels of control will usually take 2-3 years of repeated treatments with follow up treatments taking an additional 2-3 years.
Review
Prickly pear is a very hard plant to control since it is very adaptable and able to re-sprout very quickly. Some methods of control that can be used are:
- Physical- removing the plant with either a shovel or grubbing hoe
- Mechanical- mulching or two-way rail are good methods
- Prescribed burning
- Aerial spraying
- Pad or stem spraying
