04/17/2020
Basic W**d Management
Taken From: Kootenai County Noxious W**d Control Department
Some suggestions for w**d management during spring and summer:
Prevention: Using clean equipment that is not contaminated with w**ds parts or seed.
Mechanical Controls: Mowing, w**d eating or cutting/bagging flower heads to keep w**ds from producing seed. These approaches work best in summer months.
Cultural controls: Seeding using grass seed mixes and fertilizers to encourage fertility in bare areas. Buy grass seed with 0% w**d seeds and be sure the grasses will grow in your area.
Chemical controls: Keeping the edges of the fields and fences clean with glyphosate ingredients. For grassy areas, products with 2,4-D plus a surfactant, will work on noxious w**ds (for example spotted knapw**d, common tansy, and hawkw**d). For Dalmatian toadflax, oxeye daisy and leafy spurge a dicamba product such as Banvel will damage the root and control the plant. (Note: Trade names are used to simplify the information; no endorsement or discrimination is intended.)
Herbicides are not as useful in the heat of the summer (July through early September). Temperatures above 85ºF will cause plants to slow their growth to conserve energy and water, which means the plant doesn’t take in the herbicide. Also, high temperatures cause quick evaporation of sprays, making the herbicide disappear before the plant is affected by the chemical. Ideal spraying temperature is between 50ºF and 80ºF.
Remember to read and follow the label to ensure any application made is safe and legal. Do not use a pesticide unless both the w**d and application site are specifically listed on the label.
