Native seed sown into areas dominated by invasive plants generally perform very poorly [1] and in many cases fail to establish entirely. In order to increase restoration success, perform weed management at least one season prior to seeding or replanting in order to kill existing plants and prevent existing plants from going to seed [2]. Initiating weed management 2 years before revegetation activities is even more ideal, as this allows the practitioner to deplete the weed seed bank as well. However, initiating management this early is often logistically and financially infeasible.
Many conventional weed management strategies (e.g. grazing, herbicide application and prescribed fire) suggest targeting a particular point in the life cycle of the plant (e.g., the seedling). Keep in mind that many populations of invasive plants do not enter life stages at the same time. For example, spraying a patch of seedings will likely not provide eradication because some of the plants will not yet be in the seedling stage. Multiple management events within a single season can address this obstacle. Moreover, integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, where mutually supporting approaches (e.g. herbicide, mechanical, burning, competition) are used in concert to target weeds, tend to be most successful in the long term.
Resources
- Arizona noxious weed list
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Noxious Weed page
- Management of some of Arizona’s most noxious weeds
- University of Arizona Arid Southwest IPM Network
- Weed management for master gardeners
- A northern Arizona homeowners guide to identifying and managing invasive plants
- Weeds and how to manage them
- Weed management in the landscape