Which Application Method Works Best for Creeping Weeds?

Creeping weeds are among the most stubborn invaders in both agricultural fields and managed landscapes. These aren’t your average garden nuisances. With underground rhizomes, stolons, or aggressive spreading roots, creeping weeds like Cynodon dactylon (Bermudagrass), Mikania micrantha, and Convolvulus arvensis can silently expand across crops, plantations, and open soil surfaces, robbing them of nutrients, space, and moisture. If not addressed strategically, they regenerate quickly—even after cutting or superficial spraying.

Reaching the source—their underground network—rather than merely eliminating what is apparent is the true problem. For this reason, picking the appropriate application technique is equally as important as picking the herbicide.

This blog will reveal which application tactics are most effective at controlling creeping weeds, how various methods interact with the chemistry of herbicides, and what innovations can improve the efficiency and sustainability of weed management.

What Makes Creeping Weeds So Difficult to Control?

Creeping weeds possess an underground advantage—rhizomes, tubers, or stolons—that enables them to regenerate even after their above-ground growth is destroyed. Traditional cutting, shallow tilling, or surface-level spraying only stimulates fresh growth.

Common characteristics of creeping weeds include:

• Extensive underground systems that can spread meters from the main plant

• Ability to re-sprout from fragments or nodes

• Rapid biomass accumulation, outcompeting crops and reducing soil health

For instance, Mikania micrantha can grow up to 8–10 cm per day under favorable conditions, forming dense mats that smother crops or tea bushes. This regenerative capacity is what makes them formidable foes in farming systems.

Why Application Method Matters More Than You Think

While herbicide selection is crucial, the method of application determines whether the herbicide reaches the plant’s systemic network or simply burns the foliage. For systemic herbicides like glyphosate to be effective against creeping weeds, the delivery must be targeted, thorough, and matched to the weed’s growth stage.

In most cases, contact-based spraying alone results in regrowth, wasted product, and herbicide resistance.

Effective application depends on:

• Plant size and structure

• Environmental conditions like wind and humidity

• Herbicide translocation properties

• Precision of delivery to active growth zones

That’s why many weed specialists advocate a tailored approach—using tools like shielded sprayers, wick applicators, and even manual painting to reach creeping structures without harming nearby crops.

Foliar Spray: A Broad-Reach Option with Limits

Foliar spraying is the most widely used application method due to its simplicity and speed. It involves applying diluted herbicide directly to the leaves of the weed. While it offers wide coverage, it's often less effective on creeping weeds unless repeated and closely monitored.

Foliar spray is most effective when:

• The weed is in an active growth phase

• Spray coverage reaches all exposed foliage

• There's no rain within 4–6 hours of application

However, in dense or matted creeping weeds, foliar spray may not penetrate deep enough to affect the underground stolons or roots. This is where the formulation and concentration matter.

High-concentration glyphosate treatments that can go from leaf to root are used by many crops. Some choose to purchase GLYFOS 41 Herbicide for optimal results because it has systemic action with negligible side effects. It enhances absorption and persistence on rough leaf surfaces, particularly in resistant creeping species, when paired with a non-ionic surfactant.

Wick Applicators: Precision for Minimal Drift

Herbicide is applied directly to the weed surface using a wick or rope applicator, which uses a saturated substance that is physically wiped over the plant. Because it enables targeted treatment, this approach is helpful in areas with mixed vegetation where non-target damage must be prevented.

Advantages of wick applicators:

• Minimal drift, making it ideal near sensitive crops

• Better concentration of herbicide per plant contact

• Can reach low-lying or crawling stems under canopy cover

Wick applicators are especially effective when the creeping weed grows taller than the desired crop or is clearly separated in inter-row spaces. It is, however, labour-intensive and best suited for small to medium infestations.

Cut-Stump and Painting: Targeting Resilient Bases

For woody or vine-like creeping weeds such as Ipomoea or Mikania, mechanical cutting followed by direct application to the stump or base of the vine ensures the herbicide moves into the vascular system.

This method works well because:

• It delivers concentrated doses to open vascular tissues

• It minimizes herbicide waste

• It’s highly selective, reducing non-target exposure

Using a small brush or sponge, farmers apply a glyphosate solution directly to the cut surface within minutes of making the cut. It's slow but effective and offers long-term suppression if executed correctly.

Soil Drench: Rare but Useful

Soil drenching can be employed in very invasive infestations of creeping weeds when root contact is crucial, but it is uncommon for most herbicides due to environmental considerations. This approach, however, has the potential to contaminate groundwater and harm non-target plants.

It should only be used with:

• Proper training and runoff precautions

• Targeted application in isolated zones

• Support from soil microbial bioremediation practices

According to the International Survey of Herbicide-Resistant Weeds, over-reliance on a single application method can contribute to the development of herbicide-resistant weed biotypes, especially in creepers with rapid generational turnover.

"When you understand how a weed spreads, you learn how to stop it. Application is not just about coverage—it’s about insight."

The Role of Surfactants and Adjuvants

Application techniques are not isolated from one another. The effectiveness of control is also significantly influenced by the chemical interaction between the herbicide and the leaf surface.

For creeping weeds with waxy cuticles in particular, adding a non-ionic surfactant to your herbicide mixture enhances leaf adhesion and penetration. Regular sprays of certain creeping grasses bead off unless aided by a wetting chemical because they are naturally water-repellent.

Depending on the environmental conditions, additional adjuvants such as pH buffers or drift reducers might be employed to maximise the effectiveness of your selected application technique.

Weather, Timing, and Frequency: Critical Variables

If the circumstances are incorrect, even the best application method is ineffective. Particularly vulnerable to temperature and moisture are creeping weeds. Herbicide use during colder hours or when weeds are under drought stress may decrease absorption and translocation.

For optimal results:

• Apply when weeds are actively growing and hydrated

• Choose early morning or late afternoon to reduce evaporation

• Repeat treatment after 10–14 days if new growth appears

Recurring foliar sprays during the early monsoon caused 32% greater root mortality in creeping weeds than single applications during dry spells, according to data from a recent agronomic study conducted in India.

Combining Methods for Maximum Impact

For creeping species, single-method applications frequently only have short-term effects. Combining techniques, such as foliar spraying followed by a second pass with a rope wick or cutting followed by wick application, can target distinct growth zones and enhance outcomes.

Growers can control a variety of infestations with this tiered strategy while lowering the possibility of resistance and off-target damage.

FAQs

1. Why are creeping weeds harder to kill than upright ones?

   Because they often regenerate from below-ground structures that aren’t affected by surface treatments unless systemic herbicides reach them.

2. Is foliar spray enough for creeping weeds?

   Sometimes, but not always. If the weed has a dense network or woody vines, combining foliar spray with stump treatment or wick application may be needed.

3. Can I use the same method on all creeping weeds?

   No. Each weed species has unique growth traits. Identify your target first, then match your method based on spread type and growth habit.

4. Is it safe to use glyphosate repeatedly?

   Yes, if used according to guidelines. Rotate application methods and integrate cultural controls to delay the development of resistance.

5. Do I need to wear special protection while applying?

   Yes. Gloves, long sleeves, and eye protection are essential, especially for concentrated applications or in windy conditions.

What the Field Teaches You Over Time

When it comes to creeping weeds, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Each infection imparts fresh knowledge about technique, timing, and resilience. True innovation occurs when application techniques are selected for their strategic alignment with the biology of the weed, rather than merely for convenience.

Applying a product correctly involves more than just spraying. It involves precision, adaption, and observation. The grower, who gains knowledge from every season, is just as persistent as creeping weeds.

The key to turning a recurrent weed struggle into a long-term victory is not just what you apply, but also how, when, and why you apply it.

I am agri-tech writer and crop management strategist with over 8 years of experience in Indian farming systems. Specializing in seed technology and digital agriculture trends,