- Author: Lynn M. Sosnoskie
You just KNOW that some plants are considered weeds. Their common names give them away. They sound awful. Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum). Ripgut brome (Bromus diandrus). Devil's claw (Proboscidea lutea). Smellmelon (Cucumis melo). Itchgrass (Rottboellia cochinchinensis). Dog-strangling vine (Cyanthum rossicum).
Others...well, others seem more benign. Even sweet. For Valentine's day I present to you nine weedy plants with lovely names. Enjoy...
1. Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima). How celestial (Sigh...). How divine (Sigh...). How invasive (sigh...wait, what?). Tree-of-heaven is a deciduous tree, native...
- Author: Gale Perez
- Author: Mark Lundy
Here's more on Mark Lundy...
A new year and a new farm advisor in Colusa‐Sutter‐Yuba
Hello, I’m Mark Lundy, a new Agronomy Advisor in Colusa‐Sutter‐Yuba, based out of the Colusa office. With 2014 underway, I wanted to send out a brief note to introduce myself and give a brief sketch of some of the work I’ve initiated since I began in July of 2013.
Where are you from?
I’m from Arizona originally, but I’m starting my 9th year living here in California. For most of that time I’ve lived in or around Davis where I was a graduate student for 6 years and earned an MS in International Agricultural Development and a PhD in Horticulture and Agronomy. Prior to graduate...
- Reposted by: Gale Perez
- Author: Carl E. Bell
Onionweed (Asphodelus fistulosus) is an attractive but very difficult to control weed that is relatively common along highways, some irrigation right of ways and other areas in Southern California. It likely came to our area as an ornamental plant, maybe as part of a seed mix or used (I was told) in reclamation projects in the north county area of San Diego. Once you learn to recognize it, it is easy to spot in spring and summer, especially along interstate 5 from La Jolla and on north at least as far as San Luis Obispo County. Photo 2 is from a restoration site in San Diego...
- Author: Chris McDonald
Ho Ho Holy Cow its going to be cold (in other parts of the country) this holiday break.
Winter and the New Year are great times to think about preventing weed management problems. With the onset of winter rains in many parts of California, weeds have emerged on roadsides, wildlands and the edges of fields. Its a good time to monitor what has emerged and decide if those weeds will need to be treated soon.
Preventing weeds also requires preventing the breakdown of application equipment. We can’t prevent every malfunction, but keeping equipment in good working condition is a good practice. Winter is an excellent time to winterize equipment (as the name suggests) and to also repair any...
- Author: Carl E. Bell
- Re-posted by: Gale Perez
My title is Regional Advisor – Invasive Plants, but I really think of myself as a Weed Scientist (which sometimes gets an interesting response from some people; those that likely have a smoking habit).
Weed is a simple word; everyone knows the word and has an idea of what it is referring to, right? It’s a plant that someone doesn’t like for some reason. Or perhaps it is a plant existing somewhere it doesn’t belong. The definition that the Weed Science Society of America (yes there really is a Weed Science Society of America, and no they do not do research on “WEED”) uses is, “any plant that is objectionable or...