Weed Notes: Sept 25

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By Sid Lewis

      Supervisor

As this weird summer — in fact the whole year — has passed by, I have noticed a plant that has vigorously taken over many areas, especially roadside ditches.

Common bulrush is very evident and because of ideal growing conditions, has grown very tall and thick in all areas. Many ditches never, ever have had this problem as we see this year. The scary thought is, if it is not mowed etc. before winter and with average snowfall, what is spring going to bring as far as increased water levels in those areas?

Weeds and brush in roadside ditches next year will be the least of our concerns for the weed management program. In this case, the bulrush can be designated a weed and treated as such. Manitoba Conservation says in our 2014 Pesticide Use Permit anywhere bulrush exists is designated a waterway so herbicide control isn’t a option. I phoned the department and asked what we as a district could do to control not only the existing growth, but future infestations. Standing firm in their thought process of waterways and herbicide action, the understanding is we will not be able to use a herbicide... period! I am sure this will be a topic this winter at our Manitoba Weed Supervisors Association meetings.

Another newspaper in an outlying area told me a few years ago that unless I quit putting in a humorous “thought” per se, they were going to quit publishing my Weed Notes column. So I quit putting the column in; then I appreciated the positive feedback from readers disgusted with the editor’s thought. This last week I was reading that newspaper and I noticed the editor’s brother wrote in his column about knocking over outhouses, specifically with his father in the building. In my weird sense of humour I agree this is funny, but why are some contributors not questioned/warned about the content in their column?

If you have any questions for Midwest Weed District please phone 204-764-2128.