Ugh...I was pulling weeds yesterday from around my garlic, and today I am sore. Pull pull pull, mow mow mow, cut cut cut. If I had a goat, which I don't, it would be chomp chomp chomp. Wherever I dig up the ground, weeds take over. Ironically, the weeds even grew through my weeds stop, I guess I need two layers. Here in South Dakota, there are regular weeds, and then there are NOXIOUS WEEDS. Noxious weeds are the ones that you go outside and shake your fist at. How dare you, Mr. Spurge, grow in my garden! Why is my pasture becoming a sea of yellow flowers? In all seriousness, noxious weeds are those that have been identified as injurious to the environment and agriculture. They are typically foreign invaders, plants that are neither natural to the area or good for the natural environment. They take over, and kill off the natural prairie. According to the South Dakota State Extension for a weed to be considered noxious, it must contain the following characteristics:
The weed is perennial.
The weed has unique capability to spread rapidly.
The weed is not controllable without special prevention or management.
The weed is capable of decreasing the value of land.
The weed is capable of materially reducing the production of crops or livestock.
The weed is not native to South Dakota.
On our property, we are dealing with a number of noxious weeds, but currently 3 are the most common. The first is Spurge. Spurge is an extremely aggressive weed, taking over entire pastures in a short amount of time. It is noted by its little yellow flowers. Unfortunately, the field across the street from us is completely infested, and since the wind often blows from the Southwest, the seeds end up in our pasture. It is slowly creeping into our property. Since we have very dense grass, it has not taken over, but it is taking a hold. Our current remediation plan is to mow and cut it, and our future plan is to get a goat (or multiple goats). Goats are one of the one animals that can safely eat it, and effectively eradicate it. Sow Thistle is another noxious plant we are dealing with on our property. The flower looks like a dandelion, but it is tall, and has thistles. Finally, the third is wormwood. It is easy to see because its light green color is visible among the darker prairie grass. It is a poisonous plant, and can take over entire pastures. Interestingly though, it does have a unique history, with the plant being used to make the alcoholic drink absinthe. Other noxious weeds we see on our property are Canada Thistle and knapweed.
As humans we have a unique ability to get mad at weeds. How dare they take over my property, or my garden, or my grass. But it is important to remember they are not literally your adversary. They are just a plant that is uniquely suited to grow where other plants won't. They grow in dry soil, rocky soil, polluted soil, soil with high pH or low pH. One thing is for sure, you are not going to find a lot of noxious weeds in properly managed land. Rather, the weeds take over in land that is over grazed or over used, where the native plants are destroyed. To control noxious weeds, a number of methods are utilized. Some people immediately turn to pesticides. However, this can have serious negative consequences. One will not only kill the weed, but native plants and wildlife as well. Other controls include insects that are targeted to attack the specific weed. For example, for spurge many ranchers will use flea beetles. On our property we also have the beautiful leafy spurge hawk moth. You can watch a video of him here. Since many noxious weeds have very deep roots, pulling is not always the best option. So, rather things are done to put pressure on the plant, so it has to use energy to survive rather than thrive. For example, mowing or cutting the plant before it has a chance to flower is a great option. As already mentioned, goats are also an awesome option. As noted in an article from Oregon State University, "Goats are well suited for eating leafy spurge because they have a stomach and liver better adapted to handling some of the compounds in the plant that make it distasteful to other animals. Also, while sheep and cattle prefer to graze grass, goats are browsers and seek out leafy weeds and shrubs." Another great option, is repairing the land. Seek to plant natural grasses. This year, we experimented by planting an area of grass natural to South Dakota. This area, roughly 100x100 feet is now a dark green luscious grass. Next year we are already planning to buy more seed and plant more natural grass, that is thick and does not give the weeds a place to start.
In conclusion, next time you see an unwanted weed, do not immediately get mad, or declare war. Most importantly do not immediately grab the poison spray. You probably won't kill the roots anyway. Rather try to outsmart the weeds. Think of how can you control them, and weaken them so they won't return again in the future? That is at the heart of our remediation plan at Coteau Valley Farm. Prevent the spread of the weeds, and control what is already in place. Plant natural grasses that are particularly suited to your area. And at the end of the day, think about getting a goat, they really are well suited for weed control. Hopefully someday soon, we will have goats working on our property as well! Have I mentioned I really want a goat.
Don’t touch spurge to your eyes. It can actually make you blind.
Look out for prairie false dandelion, they look pretty much identical, but the leaves are not lobed and have a leathery texture. They're an indicator of good prairie health! I was just working at a site where goats had been used to munch on buckthorn, but they also got other things that were even caged off, including oak. Apparently the goats worked as a team, one of them leaning down on one side of the wire cage so that it would push the oak leaves towards the other side where more goats were. I also got to release some spurge beetles onto a landowners property, so encouraging that at there are landowners who will opt for biocontrol rather than pesticides.