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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Honorable Forum:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>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. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Dremmann is quite right that, this season at least, now is
the time to <EM>plant</EM> 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. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>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. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>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). </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>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.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>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. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>WT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>PS: I don't believe that rwg accepts my posts. If someone
would like to post this there, feel free to do so. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>----- Original Message ----- </FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>From: "Craig Dremann - Redwood City Seed Company"
<</FONT><A href="mailto:Craig@astreet.com"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Craig@astreet.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>To: <</FONT><A
href="mailto:apwg@lists.plantconservation.org"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>apwg@lists.plantconservation.org</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial
size=2>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Cc: <</FONT><A
href="mailto:rwg@lists.plantconservation.org"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>rwg@lists.plantconservation.org</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial
size=2>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 4:29
PM</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Subject: [APWG] Exsitu and insitu test plots
showing interesting results</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><BR><FONT size=2></FONT></FONT></DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>> Dear All,<BR>> <BR>> An updat on my Palo Alto exsitu and
insitu test plots.<BR>> <BR>> All the weeds are gone from the exsitu
plots, and the natives are starting<BR>> to germinate.<BR>> <BR>> The
insitu test plots, we are in the worst drought ever in central<BR>>
California, so the weeds are getting killed by lack of water, low<BR>>
humidity higher than normal daytime temps. and frost every night, so
this<BR>> may be the best year on the West Coast, to deal with weed issues,
since<BR>> they are knocked back so severely.<BR>> <BR>> If you have a
project in California where you either want to deal with<BR>> weeds, or if
you need to restore native habitat, this is the month to get<BR>> your
project seriously underway. Every dollar you spend this month for<BR>>
weed control or restoration can be leveraged using the drought as you<BR>>
ally, to have the same effect as $100-200 in a normal rainfall year.<BR>>
<BR>> Probably the best winter for natives in the last 100 years in
California,<BR>> and the natives are taking advantage of the lack of
suppression of the<BR>> exotics, and I am seeing native seedlings sprouting
up in areas where I<BR>> have not seen any native plants growing in the last
decade.<BR>> <BR>> Also, have added some more paintings and images about
weeds and ecological<BR>> restoration to my art web page at </FONT><A
href="http://www.ecoseeds.com/art.html"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>http://www.ecoseeds.com/art.html</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial
size=2>.<BR>> <BR>> Sincerely, Craig Dremann (650) 325-7333<BR>>
<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>>
_______________________________________________<BR>> PCA's Alien Plant
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