[Partners-IMCWMA] articles

[Tara Athan]

Carre- article is attached.  Please add the following when you publish.

"This article was written by Tara Athan, Coordinator of the Mendocino County Cooperative Weed Management Areas, and also appears in the
publication "Living with Wildfire in Mendocino County," which will be mailed
to the county's rural residents in May.  For questions about invasive weed
management, contact Tara Athan at 485-1198, coord at imcwma.org, or online at
imcwma.org.  For information about wildfire hazard reduction, contact the
Mendocino County Fire Safe Council at 462-3662 or firesafe at pacific.net."

I also would like to request that the distaff thistle article from last year be published again- if possible if we can get it in in time for its flowering season in June so more people have a chance to identify it.

To that article we could add
"The Mendocino County Department of Agriculture has received funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture to assist with the eradication of woolly distaff thistle in Mendocino County in 2007 and 2008. Please contact the Agriculture Department at 463-4208 for more information."

Thanks, Tara




Mendocino County Farm Bureau wrote:
> Hi Tara: When completed, could you forward the final to me? I would love
> to have the article in Mendocino Country Life too.
> Thanks Carre
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: partners-bounces at imcwma.org [mailto:partners-bounces at imcwma.org]
> On Behalf Of Tara Athan
> Sent: Monday, March 26, 2007 6:58 PM
> To: IMCWMA partners
> Subject: [Partners-IMCWMA] article on mowing and weeds
>
> IMCWMA Partners- I have put together an article on mowing and weeds for 
> the brochure that the fire-safe council will be putting out soon.
> If you have time, please look over the following for accuracy.
>
> Thanks, Tara
>
> Weed control, wildfire fuel reduction and mowing: Putting it all
> together
>
> 1. Whether to mow at all
> Not every wildland location needs to be mowed for wildfire hazard 
> reduction. Shady areas may not produce enough dry vegetation to be a
> hazard.  Wet areas near streams and springs may stay sufficiently moist 
> and green to act as a fuel break. Grasslands dominated by
> perennial grasses and late-blooming wildflowers may maintain green 
> vegetation well into late summer. Mowing may be advisable as part
> of an integrated weed management strategy, even if wildfire is not an 
> issue. However, you can save time, money, use less gas,
> encourage desirable vegetation and reduce the risk of accidental 
> ignition by only mowing when it is needed.
>
> 2. Timing your mowing: when to start, how often, when to stop
> Now suppose you have made the decision to mow a particular area.
> What is the right time to mow?
> The answer is: it depends.
> It depends on the reason you are mowing, the vegetation present, the 
> weather and the soil moisture.
> Whether you are mowing for fuel reduction or to modify the plant 
> composition of your fields, it is important to understand that mowing
> can favor some species over others, depending on when and how it is
> done.
>
> Mowing early can be damaging to equipment and desirable vegetation if 
> the soil is too damp.
> Wait at least until the soil is dry enough to support the mower.
> This time can vary from one year to the next and from one location to 
> the next.
> It is important to know your property and pay attention to its condition
>
> throughout the year.
>
> Mowing too early and often can favor certain late blooming weeds, such 
> as yellow starthistle.
> Mowing too late can disperse the seeds of non-native annual grasses, 
> such as slender wild oat.
> For Harding grass suppression, mow when the plants are still green but 
> seasonal moisture is almost exhausted.
>
>
> To encourage desirable annuals (plants that die yearly and grow back 
> only from seed) such as valley lupine or common madia, mow only
> before the plant has bolted (produced a flower stalk) or after the 
> flowers have gone to seed and the seed is mature.
>
>
> To discourage an annual weed, mow when it is in flower (grass has 
> flowers too, even though they are not very showy). You can also mow
> before seed heads are fully matured - gather and sterilize (burn or 
> thoroughly compost) clippings with seed heads still attached.   In
> particular, for yellow starthistle suppression, mow for the first time 
> when the first starthistle flowers appear and then again about
> 6 weeks later to catch any flowers that grow back. This second mowing 
> will usually occur in July, and so must be conducted carefully
> to avoid starting a wildfire. 
>
> Perennials (plants that stay green all year or grow back from the roots 
> after a dormant period) such as California oatgrass (Danthonia
> californica) and the many beautiful native irises and lilies can be 
> encouraged by suppressing the competing annuals that grow earlier
> and faster.  There is an added advantage to perennial grasses - they 
> reduce wildfire hazard because they stay green longer.
>
>
> 3. Height of mowing
> Setting the mower blade low is not usually recommended in wildland 
> situations because of:
>  >increased risk of hitting rocks and creating sparks that could start a
>
> fire.
>  >increased damage to perennials when they are cut low.
>  >greater soil disturbance when the blade bites into the ground in 
> uneven terrain, creating habitat for invading weeds.
>  >greater risk of damage to the mower blade from contact with soil, 
> rocks and tree roots.
> A blade height of at least 4 inches will reduce these damages in most 
> situations.
>
> Conclusion
> It can be a challenge to simultaneously balance the requirements of 
> wildfire fuel reduction and weed control.
> Developing a long-term management plan, on your own or with the 
> assistance of professionals,
> can be of great assistance in meeting all of your land management goals.
>
> For further information, see imcwma.org and cal-ipc.org
>
>   


-- 
My e-mail delivery has been unreliable lately, so I am asking for
return receipts from all my email messages.
OK'ing the return receipt lets me know that my message was delivered.
Thank you.

Tara Athan
Coordinator, Inland Mendocino Cooperative Weed Management Area
coord at imcwma.org
707-485-1198
PO Box 415
Redwood Valley, CA 95470

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