Suggestions for Cutting Costs and
Improving Results in
Weed and
(Submitted 6-9-09 by Carol Grohs,
MPS, Horticulture, Cornell University)
1.
Designate a weed and pest control
coordinator with your staff or appoint a citizens’ advisory board to provide
continual monitoring of problems. This will lighten the burden on
public works officials and allow them to focus on providing equipment and work
crews as needed.
2.
Provide training in least-toxic weed
and pest control to any employees who will be making decisions in these areas.
3.
Establish ongoing communication with
the many individuals around the country who have offered to share their
experience with us. Why
not learn from their successes and avoid repeating mistakes that have already been
made? (For names and contact
information, see the handout provided by Lori Bank.)
4.
Reduce the number of landscaped
areas. Public works employees have stated that it is
in landscaped areas that they have the greatest difficulty controlling
weeds.
5.
Reintroduce native grasses and
wildflowers wherever possible. Native plants blend in beautifully
with the natural surroundings and require only minimal maintenance. Mike Mingo, natural resources planner for the
Arizona Department of Transportation, has provided recommendations on grass and
wildflower seed mixes for Sedona, as well as information on purchasing seeds
and establishing an appropriate mowing schedule.
6.
Focus on removing weeds as soon as
possible after they appear, rather than following a pre-set schedule or waiting
until weeds become an eyesore. Plants that are two
inches in height or smaller generally have not stored enough carbohydrates in
their roots to regenerate a top, and therefore can easily be killed root and all in a single treatment. Removing weeds when they are small means less
effort, less cost and a better-looking landscape.
7.
Try the new and innovative
“solarization” technique being used by the city of
8.
Use part-time seasonal labor, prison
labor, or the labor of citizens owing community service whenever possible.
Traditional methods, such as pulling and hoeing, and solarization do not
require licensed workers or expensive equipment, so can be readily performed by
crews of low-cost or volunteer workers.
9.
Set up a volunteer program
coordinated by a city employee or citizens’ advisory board.
Volunteer programs that are working in other cities include:
o
Adopt-A-Highway or Adopt-A-Park
programs, involving individuals, groups, and businesses.
Businesses along Highway 89A, and landscaping businesses might be
particularly interested, especially if recognition were given on a plaque or
sign.
o
Weed-a-thons
co-sponsored by non-profit groups seeking a fundraising project. These can involve a direct donation from the city
to the group or the collection by the group of pledges from community members.
o
Special events, possibly tied to
national Seasons of Service holidays.
10.
Set up a special account to hold
funds from direct donations earmarked for nontoxic weed and pest control and
funds raised through special events. Volunteers could raise
money for the city while pulling weeds in an event similar to the weed-a-thon
mentioned earlier.
11.
Investigate possible funding through
grants. The availability of grants changes
continually, but grants have been offered for environmentally friendly weed
control in the past. Possibilities
include the EPA, health organizations, environmental groups, and
businesses.
12.
Check out the innovative and ultra
green weed and pest control techniques being used by
13.
Take time now to re-think your
entire approach to weed control and create a comprehensive plan for success.
No single change will be enough.
When eliminating synthetic herbicides, it becomes more important than
ever to use all available resources efficiently. To summarize, this means reducing high-maintenance
landscaping, careful monitoring of weed growth to ensure that most weeds are
removed when they are small, and getting the community involved.