- Author: Luca Carmignani
- Editor: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
- Editor: Belinda Messenger-Sikes
- Post: Gale Perez
How can weed control help with wildfire preparedness?
Wildfires are part of California's ecosystems, and they do not have to lead to the destruction of structures and livelihoods. Each of us can contribute to improving wildfire resilience, from individual homeowners and businesses to entire communities. Managing the vegetation and landscape around our homes can play a crucial role in preventing the spread of fires and sources of ignition.
Given the large amount of rain in the winter of 2022-2023, you might have experienced a surge in annual grasses and fast-growing plants that cover most of the ground around your home and community. In my area, I observed invasive species like wild oats and mustard...
/h2>- Author: Joseph DiTomaso
Through Sustainable Conservation and the California Horticultural Invasives Prevention (Cal-HIP) committee, the PlantRight campaign was founded in 2005. PlantRight has brought together leaders from the nursery industry, environmental groups, and academics. Its goal is to address the ongoing sale of invasive garden plants in California and to develop a strategy to remove these plants from retail sale, as well as to prevent new potentially invasive plants from being introduced. To accomplish this first objective, PlantRight teamed with the UC Master Gardener program in 2011 to survey over 225 retail nurseries throughout the state for 19 known invasive species originating from the industry. The...
- Author: Wendy West
The most effective, economical, and ecologically sound method of managing invasive plants is to prevent their invasion in the first place. Resources can be spent most efficiently on proactive activities that focus on stopping the movement of plant seeds and other reproductive parts to new areas.
One way that invasive weed seeds and root fragments can be moved is in hay and straw used for animal feed and bedding or in materials used for erosion control.
Seeds can also be transferred in animal manure if the animal has recently ingested invasive plants in infested feed or while grazing. These seeds and plant parts can then reproduce and colonize a previously uninfested area --- and if left...
- Posted By: Wendy West
- Written by: Wendy West, UC Cooperative Extension-Central Sierra and Garrett Dickman, Yosemite National Park
As wildland weed management and eradication projects fall to the economic “hatchet”, one vital program continues as a standout---preventing the introduction and spread of invasive weeds can yield a lot of bang for the buck!
Invasive weed seeds and other reproductive parts are often moved to new locations via: imported gravel and fill dirt; vehicles and equipment; or in erosion control materials. Treating weeds over a large area is expensive and often impossible, so land managers can look to weed prevention as a cost-effective...