[APWG] Exsitu and insitu test plots showing interesting results

[Wayne Tyson]

Honorable Forum:

As Dremmann and many others are aware, my methods differed from his, especially with respect to weed control. Dremmann is in favor of weed control; I rarely bothered with it except for certain perennials. 

Dremmann is quite right that, this season at least, now is the time to plant growing plants (it that's necessary at all--it usually isn't), and it's now a moment too soon. I prefer to plant live plants just as soon as the rain season is firmly under way. This provides the maximum time for plant development; later planting time shortens it. 

What I prefer is to get the site preparation done, including any seeding, just before the rains come or shortly thereafter, again, to maximize the time for development. 

My projects depended upon a healthy ecosystem to make them resistant to invasion, and I never bothered with goals like "100 percent" weed control, but weed populations always showed a decline to the point of insignificance as the healthy ecosystem developed over the first few years (about five years maximum). 

In addition to being expensive and often fruitless, I found weed control activities to be counterproductive for the most part. Certainly circumstances do alter cases, but healthy ecosystems are very effective in continuing to reduce weed populations. 

I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but as I did a number of ecosystem restoration projects over a period of about 30 years in this fashion, I believe that my approach is not without merit. I am open to challenge from anyone, and will be happy to discuss the details. 

WT

PS: I don't believe that rwg accepts my posts. If someone would like to post this there, feel free to do so. 


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Craig Dremann - Redwood City Seed Company" <Craig at astreet.com>
To: <apwg at lists.plantconservation.org>
Cc: <rwg at lists.plantconservation.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 4:29 PM
Subject: [APWG] Exsitu and insitu test plots showing interesting results


> Dear All,
> 
> An updat on my Palo Alto exsitu and insitu test plots.
> 
> All the weeds are gone from the exsitu plots, and the natives are starting
> to germinate.
> 
> The insitu test plots, we are in the worst drought ever in central
> California, so the weeds are getting killed by lack of water,  low
> humidity higher than normal daytime temps. and frost every night, so this
> may be the best year on the West Coast, to deal with weed issues, since
> they are knocked back so severely.
> 
> If you have a project in California where you either want to deal with
> weeds, or if you need to restore native habitat, this is the month to get
> your project seriously underway.  Every dollar you spend this month for
> weed control or restoration can be leveraged using the drought as you
> ally, to have the same effect as $100-200 in a normal rainfall year.
> 
> Probably the best winter for natives in the last 100 years in California,
> and the natives are taking advantage of the lack of suppression of the
> exotics, and I am seeing native seedlings sprouting up in areas where I
> have not seen any native plants growing in the last decade.
> 
> Also, have added some more paintings and images about weeds and ecological
> restoration to my art web page at http://www.ecoseeds.com/art.html.
> 
> Sincerely,  Craig Dremann (650) 325-7333
> 
> 
> 
> 
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