Vegetation Management and Maintenance Plan - Watsonville ...

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General Rules for Grubbing • If the plant has gone to flower, the floral heads should be bagged and removed for proper disposal. • If the plant has runners (rhizomes or stolens) all parts of the plant should be bagged and removed for disposal. • If plants are to be root cut, they should be cut below the root crown (greater than 2” below the surface) and prior to flowering. • Small to moderate woody stem plants may be girdled, if it is safe to do so and you are unable to efficiently dig them up. • If you are not sure if a plant is an invasive species, do not remove it until it has been identified. • If you see an animal in the area that you suspect may be protected (e.g., Santa Cruz longtoes salamander, California red-legged frog), do not work in the immediate area until the animal has been identified. There are a number of hand tools that are widely used for grubbing specific types of invasive plants. Commonly used tools include: • Weed Wrench - This tool is used to remove woody-stemmed plants with minimal soil disturbance. Examples include French broom, young acacias and young eucalyptus. • Rakes - Rakes may be used to remove lose biomass, establish clear perimeters or remove dense non-woody spreading plants or vines. Examples include cape ivy and iceplant. • McLeod/fire rake - These tools are used to clear areas to bare earth for controllable perimeters or when utilizing the Bradley Method. • Pulaski/hand pick - These tools can be used like an axe, hoe, small shovel, or pick to cut large or woody plants, clear earth, dig holes, or girdle trees. • Round-pointed shovel - Depending on type, shovels are efficient for cutting roots, exposing rhizomes, establishing perimeters, or making hole for plantings. • Soil knife- A soil knife is useful for exposing and cutting the roots of individual plants or small patches of plants. This tool can be easily carried in a pouch. • Scythe/hand scythe - The scythe is not commonly used, as it requires proper training in both use and sharpening. However, the scythe is increasingly being used to cut grasses, as it is proving to be faster, quieter, and more effective than weed whipping when the proper technique is developed. The hand scythe is useful for small areas of grass, in sensitive areas. Use of the hand scythe does not require any training. • Axes, saws, loppers and pruners - These tools are used to remove woody-stemmed plants or large/tough stemmed herbaceous plants, such as late season thistles. • Serrated knife- Knives can be carried at all times and used to cut, saw, or girdle small woody-stemmed plants or tough stemmed herbaceous plants. • Strapping or chains- These can be used with vehicles, come-alongs, or winches to pull plants such as pampas grass out of the ground. • Hoes- Discussed below. 3.1.3 Hoeing Hoeing invasive weeds is an effective technique to remove small groups of plants and/or individual occurrences. Typically, hoeing should occur prior to flowering, with the plant cut 2-4” below the ground surface. If flowers are on the plant, the cut/removed material should be bagged and removed from the site. If no flower heads have formed, the cut material can be left on site, with the possible exception of poison hemlock. Hoeing can be used at all times of the year, although plant removal Vegetation Management and Maintenance Manual Draft 16 July 27, 2007
efore the flowering season (typically spring) is usually the most effective as a means of reducing weed seeds in the project area. Within the VMMM project area, hoeing is a suitable treatment for all species where they occur as individual occurrences or small infestations. Plants that can re-sprout from spreading rhizomes or stems, such as cape ivy, English ivy, Kikuyu grass, and Harding grass should be removed in a controlled, careful manner such that hoeing does not encourage the species growth. Table 4 identifies species suitable for hoeing. Table 5 displays the typical flowering period for the invasive weeds currently found within the VMMM project area; this table should be consulted such that hoeing is conducted prior to flowering. 3.1.4 Mowing and Weed Whipping The City currently has a mowing program for the area immediately adjacent to the trails (2-foot wide strip) and other areas. This program involves seasonal mowing of herbaceous plants and small shrubs (primarily coyote brush). As depicted on Table 4, many invasive weed species, including poison hemlock and bristly ox-tongue, can be controlled with a properly timed mowing program. To be an effective invasive weed control technique, a mowing or wee -whipping program needs to be timed to mow in the spring (prior to flowering and seed set – see Table 5), then again in summer and/or early fall, depending upon the rainfall year. This mowing program will adequately control most invasive weed species. This mowing program, however, is only feasible on the flat and gently sloping portions of the project area and will not be a suitable treatment for the steeper slopes that abut the sloughs. Within the VMMM project area, mowing and weed whipping is a suitable treatment for thistles (Italian thistle, slender-flowered thistle, bull thistle), bristly ox-tongue, and poison hemlock. Specifications for each of these species are listed in Table 4. The following general rules apply to weed whipping poison hemlock, bristly ox-tongue, and poison hemlock: • Equipment heads should be limited to string or plastic blades. Metal blades are discourages since they may start fires and create a wind effect that limits their effectiveness. Because plastic tri-blades provide the highest level of control, plastic blades are recommended when working in areas with desirable native plants or grasses. Additionally, late in the flowering season when plants have tough fibrous stems, plastic blades are more effective than string. • The invasive weeds should be whipped as close to the ground as possible without causing erosion or damaging desirable plant species. • Table 5 provides a general timeline on the correct timing for the initial weed whipping. • Weed whipping should be timed to deplete the root reserves of invasive plants, to the maximum extent possible. • All flower heads that have gone to seed should be bagged and removed from the site. If noted for specific species (Table 4), all biomass should also be bagged and removed from the site. Thistles (Italian thistle, slender-flowered thistle, bull thistle) - The general techniques for weed whipping these three species of thistles are similar. The idea is to whip the thistles when their root reserves are depleted to the maximum extent. This limits re-growth of individual plants and reduces the number and size of repeat treatments required. The timing of the initial weed Vegetation Management and Maintenance Manual Draft 17 July 27, 2007
Page 1 and 2: Draft Watsonville Wetlands Trail Sy
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION
Page 5 and 6: CHAPTER 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Watson
Page 11 and 12: CHAPTER 2.0 INTRODUCTION TO WEEDS W
Page 13 and 14: assigned to each species. This rank
Page 18 and 19: CHAPTER 3.0 INVASIVE WEED MANAGEMEN
Page 22 and 23: whipping is critical. However, loca
Page 24 and 25: applications will be needed to cont
Page 26 and 27: Table 4. Levels of Invasive Weed In
Page 32 and 33: 3.1.9 Active Revegetation Within th
Page 34 and 35: In addition, isolated patches of wi
Page 36 and 37: Table 7. Invasive Weed Treatment -
Page 38 and 39: Table 7. Invasive Weed Treatment -
Page 43 and 44: CHAPTER 4.0 RIPARIAN AND WETLAND MI
Page 45 and 46: Table 11. Lower Struve Slough Mitig
Page 47 and 48: Each year’s annual monitoring rep
Page 49 and 50: APPENDIX A Invasive Weeds within th
Page 51 and 52: WILD MUSTARD Brassica ssp. DISTINCT
Page 53 and 54: BULL THISTLE Cirsium vulgare DISTIN
Page 55 and 56: FENNEL Foeniculum vulgare DISTINCTI
Page 57 and 58: HARDING GRASS Phalaris aquatica REE
Page 59 and 60: CURLY DOCK Rumex crispus DISTINCTIV
Page 61 and 62: APPENDIX B Native Plants within the
Page 63 and 64: CALIFORNIA BUCKEYE Aesculus califor
Page 65 and 66: BLACK COTTONWOOD Populus balsamifer
Page 67 and 68: MUGWORT Artemisia douglasiana DISTI
Page 69 and 70: CALIFORNIA BLACKBERRY Rubus ursinus
Page 71 and 72:
COMMON RUSH Juncus patens BOG RUSH
Page 73 and 74:
APPENDIX C Volunteer Projects Veget
Page 75 and 76:
DESCRIPTION OF WORK VOLUNTEER PROJE
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
APPENDIX D Mitigation Area Maps Veg
Page 83 and 84:
APPENDIX E Bucket Watering System V
Page 85:
Georges' Bucket Watering System For
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