Successful application of Milestone in the winter to combat Scotch broom.
Summary
Treatment of Scotch broom with milestone in the winter has proven to be quite successful. One individual reported a 75-80% mortality and minimum re-sprouting after 9 months of initial application. Their hope is to expand the trial this winter with triclopyr as well as milestone to achieve even better results. However, it was mentioned that there are adverse effects associated with using triclopyr; it is harmful to other plants including Iris, Sisyrinchium, Dnathonia, Rumex, and Juncus species. To avoid the negative effects associated with triclopyr, one contributor suggested using goats to combat Scotch broom. “Grazing by goats during active growth of Scotch broom has been used successfully in New Zealand,” however it requires several seasons for effective control” (USDA). Moreover, using goats can be quite risky because certain chemicals in Scotch broom could affect the animal if they eat too much at a time and their ferocious appetites could negatively impact native plant species.