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Bonfire Weed Management

Colorado Licensed Commercial Aplicator Based out of Cortez, Colorado
970-903-0535

Vegetation management is only successful when you are persistent. One treatment will not solve your problems. Long term plans are very important, re-seeding and reclamation work after the weeds are gone might be needed.

Understand why the weeds are there.
Was the soil disturbed? Disturbed could include grazing, construction, erosion, fire, etc... Weeds have competitive advantages over our native species, so when they get the opportunity to outcompete native vegetation, intervention from the landowner will be needed to restore the area to those desireable species. Succession does not apply when you are dealing with non-native aggressive species.
Managing the weeds.
Depending on what species are present and how long they have been there, will determine how many treatments will be needed to control and suppress populations. Eradication will only be possible if persistent management is done for at least the duration of the seed viability. Neighboring properties with noxious weed infestations will also be a factor effecting erradication.
Re-seeding needs.
If there are no longer any desirable species in the area, reseeding will most likely be needed. I recommend contacting NRCS, HDCD, or consult with Southwest Seed Company out of Cortez for seeding recommendations.
Monitor for weed species.
Always keep an eye out for new weed species popping up, and prevent them from going to seed. Weed seeds can come in from wildlife (including birds), water, and wind.

Understanding your seed bank.

Like was mentioned earlier, one treatment will not solve your problems. This is partially due to the seed bank. Some species have seeds viable for only a few years while others have seeds viable for 100 years. Annual species tend to have a shorter seed viability than perennial species. If you have had established cheatgrass from many years you will have a hard time re-seeding another species of grass until the seed bank of cheatrass is diminished. Annual species tend to be very competitive at the germination/seedling stages. Preventing weeds from going to seed is very important.

Herbicide options.

This diagram simpliefies what we are lookng at in herbicides. There are pre and post emergent herbicides, pre means it is controlling seeds, post meaning it is controlling plants that are already established. Then you have non-selective versus selective, non-selective meaning it will burn all vegetation it comes into contact with, selective meaning it will only work on certain species. Within the selective side of herbicides you will mainly be looking at broadleafs. Herbicides that kill grass species are generally not selective. You will not be able to kill a perennial grass without killing a broadleaf plant. However, there are many selective herbicides that will kill broadfleafs and not injure your grasses. We have many plant species in the four corners area that require certain chemistrys to kill because they have become resistant (kochia, whitetop). You have to know the species of the plants you are targetting and you need to know the future plans for the property before determining which herbicide to use. A majority of places that sell herbicides will not give you good recommendations on what to use. It comes with experience and working with legit chemical representatives to understand which chemistrys (modes of actions) will work on which species. You also need to be careful to read the label and understand which herbicides you are allowed to use in certain areas. Just because they will kill the species you are after does not mean you legally can use that herbiicde in the area the plants are.
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