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Show Page 10 The Ogden Valley news Volume XVII Issue XXIV June 1, 2010 Dyers Woad & Other Noxious Weeds By James Barnhill – Utah State University Extension; Gaston (Tom) Dupre’ – Morgan County Weed Supervisor What is a weed? “A weed is a plant out of place.” It’s a dandelion in a grass lawn, a corn plant in a potato field, or a recently introduced, aggressively spreading plant that is crowding out the native vegetation of an area. What is a noxious weed? A noxious weed is a plant that has been designated and published as being noxious by the State or the County. There are 27 weeds on the Utah State noxious weed list. The fact that these weeds have been designated as noxious gives the State the right to restrict the sale or spread of any plant part that is capable of reproducing. The County has the authority to require that these noxious weeds be controlled. State noxious weeds have been classified into three categories: Class A: Very high priority weeds requiring “Early Detection Rapid Response” (EDRR) Black Henbane Medusahead Ryegrass Spotted Knapweed Diffuse Knapweed Oxeye Daisy Sulfur Cinquefoil Johnsongrass Purple Loosestrife Yellow Starthistle Leafy Spurge St. Johnswort Yellow Toadflax Class B: High priority for control Bermudagrass Musk Thistle Scotch Thistle Dalmatian Toadflax Perennial Pepperweed Squarrose Knapweed Dyers Woad Poison Hemlock Hoary Cress Russian Knapweed Class C: Priority is to contain them, stop their spread into new areas Canada Thistle Saltcedar Field Bindweed Houndstongue Quackgrass Noxious weeds can by viewed by visiting <http://www.utahweed.org/weeds.htm> All of the noxious weeds are non-native plants; most of them are from Europe and Eurasia. One of the reasons that non-native, introduced, weeds are exceptionally invasive is that many of their native pests and parasites were not introduced with them, leaving them to spread uncontrolled through their new found land of promise. Who is responsible for controlling noxious weeds? Property owners are responsible for controlling the noxious weeds on their property. If a property owner fails to control their noxious weeds, the County, after proper notification, can control the weeds and require the owner to pay for the costs. If we would all just control the weeds on our own property, the weed concerns of the community would be resolved. Why control weeds? Noxious weeds have been described as a raging biological wildfire. Introduced weeds are a major threat to many of our endangered plant species. Weeds are aggressive competitors with crops, resulting in enormous economic losses. Millions of dollars are also spent controlling weeds in home landscapes. Identification: The first step in controlling a weed is to identify it correctly. If you need assistance contact James Barnhill at 801-399-8200. Control Methods: The most effective way to control weeds is to never allow them get started. Purchase sod, seed, and nursery stock that are weed free. Avoid bringing soil, manure, hay, or equipment onto your property if it is likely to be contaminated with viable weed seed or plant parts. Keeping a healthy, desirable plant population is another excellent way to keep weeds out. Mother Nature hates bare ground. If you don’t grow something there, She will very likely grow weeds. Soils generally have an enormous store of weed seeds. Once the native vegetation is torn up, weeds will grow unless something more desirable is planted. Mechanical methods of control include; hand pulling, tilling, and mowing. This is often the most practical approach when dealing with home lots. Remember that allowing just one weed to mature and go to seed can undo a summer’s efforts in weed control. Biological control involves the use of living organisms to control the weeds. This usually entails introducing the predators from a weeds native homeland. While it will never eradicate a weed, it can be very effective at bringing its population into balance with the environment. Once established, the biological organisms provide a permanent control measure. Biological control is often the only practical approach to widely spread weed infestations in environmentally sensitive areas. Chemical control of weeds is a fairly new science. While it carries some risk to the applicator and the environment, it is very effective and economical. The label of a herbicide is the law. Reading and following label directions is a critical aspect of using these tools effectively and safely. Good luck in your weed control efforts. If you have had problems with crabgrass and spurge in your lawn, now is the time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide to keep these annual weeds from germinating. A rule of thumb is to put the preemergent on before the forsythia bloom. Dyers Woad & Other Noxious Weeds Each spring we recognize dyers woad, Isatis tinctoria, by its bright yellow flowers. This weed belongs to the mustard family. In colonial times it was introduced from Europe as a source of blue dye. Dyers woad was first identified in Utah, near Brigham City, in 1917. It is presently in 21 of Utah’s 29 counties. Description While it can be a short lived perennial, it generally has an annual life cycle. Seeds germinate in the fall and develop into small rosettes before winter. In the spring they bolt up and flower fairly quickly. The flowers have four yellow petals. Once the yellow flowers are gone, green seed pods develop along the flower stalk. By midsummer the seed has matured and the entire plant turns black. After seeding the plants die and the cycle starts over again. It is one of the 27 designated “Noxious Weeds” in Utah. Dyers woad thrives in dry sandy or gravelly soils that are common to many foothills. It is often seen in waste areas, disturbed sites, right of ways and rangeland. It is not palatable to livestock or wildlife. It crowds out other edible range vegetation, and dies early in the summer, leaving no food for grazing. In addition, the seed pods rot on the ground and exude a toxin that kills the roots of nearby plants. The Bureau of Land Management estimates that heavy infestations of dyers woad can reduce rangeland carrying capacity by 38% (“BLM NW Regional Noxious Weed Control EIS, 1985). Control Dyers woad can be hand pulled while soils are moist in the spring; however, it’s probably best to plan on using a shovel. The crown of the plant is approximately an inch below the soil surface. If the root is broken off or cut below the crown, the plant will not survive. However, if it is cut off at ground level, it will rapidly produce more flower stalks and go to seed. Plants pulled while they still have yellow flowers can be Normal Rosette left in the field, none of its seed will be mature enough to germinate. If all of the flowers are gone, some of the seed will be viable and plants need to be collected and put in the garbage. Currently, efforts are underway to get approval for the importation and release of some insects that will feed on dyers woad. The only biological control organism available now is a native rust fungus called Puccinia. It was identified by the USU Extension Weed Specialist Steven Dewey near Grace, Idaho. Plants with this rust infection have been collected and distributed throughout northern Utah; however, most of its spread has been natural. Infected plants Rust Infected fail to produce seed and appear quite a bit different than normal plants. If you see these plants, don’t kill them. They will be the source of infection for other dyers woad plants. In some infestations, 80 percent of the plants have become infected with the rust. Chemical control of dyers woad can be very effective. Small land owners will want to use 2,4-D with a surfactant (an adjuvant that helps the herbicide spread on, stick to, and penetrate the leaf surface). This herbicide works well while the plants are young. Once the dyers woad is mature enough to have flowers the 2,4-D is not very effective. Large property owners will get their best control with Escort or Telar. These products are only sold in larger size packages. They have some soil activity and one application will often control dyers woad for two years. Please read and follow the label instructions. State Medicaid Budget Hearing for Fiscal Year 2012 Slated —Input from community sought The Department of Health invites you to attend a special Medical Care Advisory Committee (MCAC) meeting to obtain public input on the Medicaid and PCN (Primary Care Network) budgets for the state for fiscal year July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012. The meeting will be held Thursday, June 17, 2010 from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. in Room 114 at the Cannon Health Building, 288 N. 1460 W. in Salt Lake City. If you know of special medical needs not being met by the Medicaid or PCN programs, or want to speak on a budgetary matter of importance to you, please come prepared to make a short (no more than five minutes) presentation to the Committee. Copy services will be provided if you have a handout. Signed petitions are also encouraged. Your input will assist the MCAC in recommending a budget that will be more representative of Medicaid and PCN providers and clients. If you cannot attend the public hearing but would like to write to the Committee about special medical needs, please mail comments early to: MCAC PO BOX 143101 SALT LAKE CITY UT 84114-3101 Gallery 25 Features Artwork of Keith Dabb Keith Dabb will be the featured artist for the month of June at Gallery 25. There will be an opening reception on First Friday Art Stroll, June 4, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., 268 Historic 25th Street. Keith will be showing new paintings completed this winter as an Artist in Residence at the “Arizona Fine Art Expo” in Scottsdale Arizona. Art patrons were able to watch the painting process, ask questions, and observe techniques as the artists painted each day. A Utah native, Keith is adapt at creating landscapes with dramatic light, often with glowing sunsets which are inspired by the ones observed from his home in Plain City. He also enjoys creating desert scenes—no doubt inspired by his time in Arizona, and time spent with the Sioux and Crow Indians. His wildlife scenes capture the imagination as each animal is filled with life and often a delightful sense of humor. Keith spent thirty years in education, teaching at South Ogden Junior High, Weber High, and finishing his career at Fremont High School. Now in retirement, he is finally able to pursue his love of painting full time. His artwork is found in collections across the country. Continuing artwork will also be on display by gallery members Lucile Chamberlin, Lauri Eskelson, Carol Fielding, Roberta Glidden, Phil Hopkins, Liz Pierce, Mac Stevenson, and Doug Wride. Gallery hours are 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 801-334-9881. 6th Annual Valley Market Guest Appreciation Breakfast Subscriptions available for out of area residents at $18.00 annually. Saturday June 12th. at 9 a.m. Send payment with mailing address to: We’ll be serving pancakes, eggs, hash browns, and ham. It is free to all. Please join us for some great food. Prizes will be drawn. The Ogden Valley news 801-745-4000 2555 WOLF CREEK DR. EDEN STORE HOURS: MON. - SAT. 7 AM - 10 PM SUNDAY 7 AM - 9 PM Farr’s 1 gal. Ice Cream Bucket $4.99 with coupon Expires 6/15/10 Sabra Hummus 50c OFF with coupon Expires 6/15/10 Any Dozen Cookies from the Bakery 50c OFF with coupon Expires 6/15/10 from the Bakery Any Whole Watermelon $1.00 OFFwith coupon Expires 6/15/10 Family Pack Steaks from the Meat $1.00 Expires OFF with coupon Dept. 6/15/10 P O BOX 130, EDEN UT 84310 |
