Year-round gardening: Be on lookout for noxious weeds
Fredricka Bogardus, Colorado Master Gardener
July is the month that weeds seem to be everywhere.
When you are considering weed control priorities, pay attention to those weeds designated as noxious in El Paso County. The term noxious weed is a legal term used to define those weeds that cause economic and/or environmental damage. They are associated with regulatory controls.
Homeowners have a legal obligation to eradicate some of those weeds; in other cases, only containment and control of these species is required. You might have troublesome plants in your garden or lawn that seem to spread like wildfire, but they are not noxious weeds unless they are legally defined as such.
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It is important to understand what is meant by a noxious weed. According to the Colorado Noxious Weed Act, it’s a plant that is alien or non-native and:
• Is invasive to the detriment of economic crops or native plant community
• Is poisonous to livestock
• Is a carrier of detrimental organisms
The mere presence of the plant damages the environmentally sound management of agricultural or natural ecosystems.
As an urban gardener, you might think the rules don’t apply in town, but they do. In addition to a legal obligation, it is in your interest to control these plants; they are truly garden thugs and will quickly overrun your garden if not controlled.
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It is not always easy to figure out which weeds are noxious. The best resource to get information on the weeds is a booklet, “Noxious Weeds and Control Methods,” available at https://communityservices.elpasoco.com/environmental-division/ noxious-weeds/.
Noxious weeds are categorized in three groups:
• List A: These are plants that are relatively rare, but could get out of control quickly. Landowners are required to eradicate these species whenever they are found.
• List B: These are plants that are distributed in discrete parts of the state. Management requirements will vary between eradication, containment or suppression depending upon the local infestation of the plant. The goal is to keep the distribution of these plants in those discrete locations.
• List C: These are plants that are widely distributed and well established. The state recommends control measures be taken and local governments may require such measures.
Control methods vary widely; be sure to use the recommended methods.
Some of the weeds out of control in this region are common mullein, bindweed, toadflax and myrtle spurge (aka donkey tail spurge). These are extremely prolific weeds, many introduced as medicinal or ornamental plants. They are not necessarily unattractive. Take a bit of time, look at the booklet and make sure these undesirable plants are not invading your property.
Submit gardening questions to csumg2@elpasoco.com or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help desk is open 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at 17 N. Spruce St. Find us on Facebook at Colorado Master Gardeners — El Paso County.
Submit gardening questions to csumg2@elpasoco.com or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help desk is open 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at 17 N. Spruce St. Find us on Facebook at Colorado Master Gardeners — El Paso County.
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