[RWG] Win the weed game, by adding natural herbicides to your side

[Craig Dremann - Redwood City Seed Company]

Dear Wayne and All,

Thanks for your feedback.

I am going to drive another 300 miles round trip in the next few week,
just to pick up another one of those 100 pound bale of Nassella
straw--that is how very important I think these natural herbicides are to
test for our weeding and ecological restoration projects.

I love to play chess--so you could look at adding the straw, bark, native
plant stems or leaves, as you are adding another piece on your side of the
board, to help you win the game.  What you have to determine, is did you
add another queen, and who are the pawns and rooks on the other side of
the board, playing for the weeds?

All I am suggesting to the readers of both of these forums, is to go out
in the next six weeks, and try some small scale experiments with your
local native plant material against their worst weeds--the ones that you
have been unable to completely manage with other means?

We did our first natural herbicide experiment in 1988 against Yellow star
thistle (YST) in Portola Valley in a horse pasture next to a mansion
there, because if horses eat YST, they can get brain lesions.

We were able to permanently get rid of all of the YST within 60 days, and
the horse owner was amazed and very pleased, because she had tried
everything else to get rid of it.

This summer, under a licensing agreement,  I am working with a land owner
in Mendocino County on a project to permanently eradicate YST in test
plots, with very good results so far.  The issue is to get 100% weed
eradication within 60 days or less, after applying the natural herbicide
containing material.

Your experimental test plots do not have to be very big, just a square
foot or two for each treatment, and until you know the strength of your
native material, apply it at least in five different levels.  Like for
native straw, stems or leaves, I would try 1/4 inch thick , 1/2 inch, one
inch, two inches, and three inches for fun.    And measure the number of
ounces you are applying per square foot, just to have that data recorded.

When we did the square mile in the Great Basin in the cheatgrass area,
there was one test plot where I was really piling on the materials,
contrary to everything that had been written in the peer reviewed journals
at the time.

But you can see the weed-free final results at
http://www.ecoseeds.com/greatbasin.html.

Sincerely,  Craig Dremann (650) 325-7333