Knowledgebase
Ethephon based herbicide #752968
Asked May 30, 2021, 3:32 PM EDT
Howdy!
I understand that spraying my cottonwood trees annually with a ethephon based herbicide will decrease the amount of sticky pods and cotton that they spread all over the place. If so, which herbicide would you recommend? I would prefer to spray them, rather then have them removed.
Thanks, Greg
Big Horn County Wyoming
Expert Response
I believe what you are trying to do is to get the tree to abort its flowers and/or fruit after or even prior to blooming. There are a couple of plant hormone spray (Not an herbicide, because it does not kill the plant.) that will induce the plant to drop the flowers. It is typically sprayed when the plants are at about 80% completed with the blooming process in the spring. In Casper there are two products that I am familiar with being available for purchase. One is Fruit Eliminator, another is Florel. It just depends upon which brand is sold at the retailer you shop at. If you need more information you can certainly contact the Natrona County Extension office, 235-9400 for more details or explanations on how to use the products.
