📋 Quick Comparison
Spot Treatment
Best for: Small, early foxtail patches
Tillage + fallowing
Best for: Organic setups or no-chemical preference
Glyphosate + tillage
Best for: Large, dense infestations
Reseeding
Best for: After elimination to prevent recurrence
Selective herbicide
Best for: Grass-dominant fields with minor foxtail presence
Soil & grazing care
Best for: Long-term prevention and pasture/pet safety
🌾 How to Eliminate Foxtails: Smart Strategies for Yard & Pasture
1. Identify & Scout Early
Know which type of foxtail you're dealing with—common types include foxtail barley and green/giant foxtail
Regularly walk your yard or pasture in spring and early summer to catch infestations early
2. Stop It at the Source: Control Seedlings
For small patches, spot-treat:
Hand-pull before seeds form, or
Apply vinegar spray or a selective herbicide when the plants are actively growing.
For widespread infestations:
Use glyphosate to kill all plants, then till or disk the soil 7–10 days later to bury dead plants
Allow new seedlings to sprout, then repeat glyphosate and tilling—2–3 cycles may be needed to exhaust the seed bank
3. Use Selective Herbicides (Where Appropriate)
Products like Lambient (propoxycarbazone‑sodium) can suppress certain foxtail species without harming desirable forage grasses
Always follow label instructions: dosage, surfactants, timing, and any crop rotation restrictions.
4. Non‑Chemical Approach
Tillage and summer fallowing work too:
Repeatedly till the soil during hot, dry months to kill plants and deplete seeds
Mowing alone doesn't work—foxtails will re-seed on shorter stalks
5. Reseed With Strong, Competitive Plants
After control, reseeding helps block foxtail regrowth:
Plant quality forage (e.g., ryegrass, oats, clover).
Use a temporary forage crop between control rounds to further reduce seed resurgence
Finally, establish a permanent pasture suitable for your region and maintain it with good grazing or mowing practices
6. Manage Soil & Grazing Dynamics
Test soil regularly; amend to support healthy growth of chosen forage
Use pasture management strategies (e.g., rotational grazing, maintaining stubble height of 2–4") to help desirable plants outcompete foxtails .
Watch out for seed contamination—don’t introduce foxtails via hay, livestock, or equipment .
By combining early detection, smart control methods, strong reseeding, and proactive soil & pasture management, you can beat foxtails and keep your landscape healthy—even without heavy chemicals.
Credit https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/cms-63366-foxtail-control-pastures-hayground
