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Getting Along With Mother Nature
© 1997, 1998 Streamline Publications
In assessing the site for potential
weed problems it is helpful to identify the weeds growing there and nearby.
Knowing specifically which weeds you will need to control will make the choice
of eradication methods easier and should be a consideration in wildflower
selection. This will make a big difference later. Chemical weed control is
possible only when the wildflowers can tolerate the herbicide used and the weeds
are susceptible to it. For maintenance, herbicides for "broad
leaf" plants are generally unsafe for wild flowers. Herbicides labeled for "grass"
weeds can be used safely with most wildflowers. Ideally, before planting wildflowers,
the area should be treated with a systemic glyphosate herbicide such as
RoundupTM over a period of several years and during the various seasons. A
glyphosate herbicide will kill selectively depending on the time of year it's
applied and the growth state of the plants.
FumigantsFew landscape contractors have the
luxury of years to observe and make the initial weed kill. They will probably
have to start planting in a few weeks or months. An alternative site preparation
technique is fumigation. The gas, methyl bromide, takes special application
equipment and licensed applicators and is used mostly in large agricultural
areas but will soon be banned for use in California. Less effective, but easier
to use, fumigants are water soluble liquids such as Vapam and Sectagon. Dazomet,
a granular fumigant, is used in cool areas.
The soon-to-be-denied advantage of
methyl bromide is that it is highly effective and stays in the soil only a short
time. The liquid and granule fumigants stay in the soil for much longer and
their presence should be checked for using soil analysis before planting
wildflowers. The level of maintenance will depend on
the site, the client's needs and what it takes to satisfy both (see following
article). The landscape contractor who has carefully considered possible weed
problems, successional changes, and has taken early action to control the weeds
through a combination of chemical and physical methods will give the wildflowers
the best chance. When wildflowers are planted in a
properly prepared, weed-free site they will be quick to germinate. Substantial
growth is, itself, a weed suppression method when well-established wildflowers
compete with intrusive weeds. For your wildflower projects, check
with Albright Seed Company
for a wide variety of wildflower seed singles and mixes and the advice of
experts. Available Wildflower Mixes Continue at Reduced Landscape Maintenance and Water-Thrifty Beauty with Wildflowers.
Go Wild With
S&S Wildflower Seed Mixes
Plant Now-No Regrets Later!
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