>fwd from Merla:
>Thanks to anyone who's willing to take a stab at this. > >I'm trying to do test plots on Rapid Lightning to show that alternative >weed control methods are feasible by the county and to keep our road >from being sprayed. > >One of the possibilities for test plots is taking a soil analysis and >amending the soil to discourage the weeds and to encourage the other >native wild plants either alone or in conjunction with BD weed peppers. >We need something that people can do, something that is not too >complicated. > >1) SOIL ANALYSIS >I have an opportunity to choose a private business (not the U. of Idaho) > >to do my organic soil analysis for the road. Is there a place here in >the western U.S. where I can get this done? > >2) CONCEPTUALIZING TEST PLOTS ON SOIL CHANGES WHICH WOULD DISCOURAGE >KNAPWEED, COMMON TANSY OR THISTLE AND ENCOURAGE NATIVE PLANTS ON GLACIAL > >TILL SOIL IN THIS BRITTLE ENVIRONMENT. > >Actually, there are many wild plants that do all right on marginal >soils. The trouble is that knapweed or hawkweed or common tansy can >come into these situations and take over the site because they are so >successful in drought situations possibly because they are allelopathic. > >When you do soil amending, you usually take all the plants off the plot >and dig it up mixing whatever compost, rock dust or BD prep you wish to >add. >In dealing with the road right-of-way, we have all kinds of native >plants and grasses growing on it. You have hawkweed over an understory >of kinnickinnick and many other plants. > >I'm trying to conceptualize a series of test plots based on a soil >analysis. Will I have to do this on some of the bare ground where the >county has ditched so that I can actually mix the amendments with the >soil to some kind of depth or is there any way to amend the soil and >leave the non-offensive native plants there? Is there a specific way of > >discouraging knapweed, hawkweed and common tansy by changing the soil >besides using weed peppers or in conjunction with weed peppers? > >Anybody have any ideas? > >Thanks for suggestions. I'm searching for something AGAIN. > >Merla
