I'm looking for some help on coming up with a more affordable, effective cut stump treatment. I've used pathway mostly but would like to find something at a more reasonable price point. I'm looking at mixing Garlon 4 with diesel. Any input or experience?
...Jed1124 recommended Tordon RTU. It's the same stuff as the Pathway you've been using, just packaged in a smaller volume.
Tordon RTU & Pathway are the same thing.
I never buy RTU: You are paying extra for water.
If you want to get the same results, mix your own RTU from concentrated products. Get some Tordon 22k (need to have an applicators license), cut it with water, add some 2.4-D herbicide to match the RTU formula, then you have cut your price per gallon to 1/2 or maybe 1/3rd of the RTU products. Any other product that has picloram as an active ingredient can be substituted for the Tordon 22k, but will probably not be quite as strong as the 22k; you will need to do your math on that.
Triclopyr (Garlon, Turflon-D) can be substituted for the 2,4-D to make a really hot brush killer that might have better effectiveness on a wider variety of hard to control plants. Cost will go up, too, but the doses can be reduced.
Triclopyr is reasonably cheap anyway. Cheap and effective enough to use as stump treatment by itself, and it carries a label for stump treatment and brush control.
If you wish to cut your costs and increase the effectiveness, you might try adding one of the expensive organosilicate surfactants. They greatly increase the penetration into the cambium, and you should be able to reduce your doses accordingly. There is a wide variety available, look for a brand that mentions enhancing bark permeation.
"Some research suggests that the wetting properties of these surfactants are so good that they can also allow bacteria and fungi to more easily invade plants"