----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Robison" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 2:44 PM Subject: roadside weed control
> Merla, you asked about BD weed control. I'm not sure why you have settled > on your prep material but I am concerned. I think you should start with the > weed slashing, allepath replanting, etc as others have suggested. This is > conventional enough that you will not be the subject of so much ridicule by > the establishment. > > My understanding of the Pfeiffer Field spray is that it prepares a green > crop for digestion in the soil, substituting for an active compost pile. > This may be helpful if you have a green manure crop and you can't arrange > to compost it -- at least that is how I've used it in the past. The FS will > help the soil to digest the material and produce a healthy soil. So why do > that to the roadside area? Won't you be encouraging more fertility and > vigorous weed growth? I don't see the point. Just because FS contains > elements of many of the other preps doesn't mean it should be applied -- > you may not want to be using fertility enhancing preps at all. Not being local, I hesitate to weigh in too strongly, but generally if you can establish suitable native growth that can keep out the weeds, then using a fertility approach that was geared toward the desired plants could be the right thing to do. Certainly if the soil is poor 'not preps alone' should be your watchword, and the use of compost and/or compost tea could be considered. Equipment to deliver compost effectively might include something like a Rexius Express Blower, www.expressblower.com . I was pleasantly surprised to see one here in Quebec and they can mix seed in with the compost at the point of application. La nature deteste la vide, as the French say, nature abhors a vacuum, and if the botanical space is free, an unwanted plant (aka 'weed') could take up residence, which I gather is the feared and loathed possibility to be avoided. Certainly, in turf management the goal is a 'vigorous stand of grass' that resists weed invasion, and this principle can also apply in different botanical settings as well. Hope that helps a bit, Frank Teuton > > As for the weed peppers, maybe. They can't hurt tho I don't know how > effective they are without a knowledgeable practitioner involved. That is, > I don't know how much of the human element needs to be there. But I > wouldn't emphasize their use -- the establishment is not going to understand. > > My concern is that failure to achieve results the first year could be > damaging to the public's perception of BD. I suggest sticking with > "conventional" organic techniques and try the BD ideas slowly in order to > gain an understanding of what's working and why. > > > > > > ========================== > Dave Robison >
