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                                                                               LEAFY SPURGE

My plan of attack was 1.5 qts per acre 2,4D Ester (4lb --1qt Lv-6) mid May  to keep them from producing seed and to weaken for a fall followup of 1qt per acre Tordon. If I have a place I can collect bugs then I will  leave an acre unsprayed and plant bugs. Plateau is used by many and will knock the spurge down for a period of about 2 years. I think if you can use bugs that is  the most effective way to control and eliminate spurge. Establishing a stand ( 2 years) and then collecting and moving them to other areas of  infestation or to other spots of the same infestation will speed up the elimination. I do not recomend haying these areas, so as not to disturb the growth of your population or to transfer seed when moving equipment or hay.

Bio control notes. http://www.team.ars.usda.gov/v2/publications/manuals.html#1 By  spraying when the bugs have reduced the spurge you are reducing the effectiveness of the bugs. The bugs will never kill all the spurge but if there is a little spurge remaining there will be bugs in that site when all the seeds from the past years germinates.  We have seen this when a landowner sprays out the last spurge and then a year is right for germination the spurge comes back and no bugs. We have also seen the same thing when the spurge has not been sprayed out and the bugs increased and cleaned up the spurge. R.M.