- 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...
- Author: Pamela M. Geisel
One of the biggest challenges to growing a vegetable garden in a non-raisedbed situation can be the weeds. The can make the garden unsightly, compete with the vegetable plants you really want and make you feel overwhelmed in trying to manage them. Here is your five step plan to a better garden with fewer weeds:
Step one: Control existing weeds. If your garden has any weeds, you first need to take care of them prior to doing anything (except planning). You have a couple of options. You may rototill your garden to dig under existing weeds or you can spray out the garden with a non-selective herbicide such as glyphosate (Round-up). ...
- Author: Rebecca Miller-Cripps
Everywhere you turn these days, the term “citizen science” is in use. The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) dedicates a page of its website to the topic. In July, the Ecological Society of America (ESA) published a supplemental journal devoted wholly to the topic of citizen science—its history, current status, and potential for the future. When staying with friends last week, I had my morning coffee in a mug labeled “Central Valley Winter Raptor Count – 2008-2011,” an excellent example of citizen science.
But, what do we mean by “citizen science”? Historically, the practice of involving members of the public in various scientific projects was viewed as an opportunity to...
- Author: Rebecca Miller-Cripps
- Contributor: Wendy West
Collaboration between Partners May Be an Effective Way to Fund Wildland Weed Control Projects
Many funding sources for weed eradication have been reduced or completely eliminated. According to the California Assembly Budget Committee's annual Preliminary Review of the Governor's Proposed 2012-13 State Budget, the California Department of Food and Agriculture will absorb a permanent budget reduction of $12 million in program cuts, in addition to a $19 million budget reduction in 2011-12. Funding for Weed Management Areas (WMAs) has been reduced to the...
