 Weeds. Everyone has them, probably always will. So what's all the fuss about weed control? Well, in a word, money. Estimates show that the weeds in Utah alone cost citizens and businesses somewhere around 40 million dollars a year. Sound hard to believe? Well, let's take a look at how weeds cost us so much money. To begin with, some weeds are poisonous. For example, this poison hen rock can kill you if it's ingested. Other weeds cause a wide variety of allergic reactions. And the cost adds up, not only for medication and doctor visits, but also for lost time at work. Poisonous weeds also cause expense in the livestock industry. In fact, all animals that graze are threatened by these weeds. In 1988, 70 horses died in Utah as a result of eating poisonous plants. So it's easy to see how poisonous weeds cost us money, but that's still just the beginning. In fact, non-poisonous weeds are an even bigger problem. That's mainly because there are simply more of them. And the problem with all weeds is that they keep other plants from growing. The fact is, there is only so much nutrient in the soil, so much sunlight, so much water, and so much space. The more weeds there are, the hotter it is to raise any other plant. So for a farmer, weed control is an absolute necessity. Left uncontrolled, a weed like Johnson grass can completely take over a cornfield. Okay, so poisonous weeds drive up the cost of livestock products, cost our citizens thousands of dollars in medical bills, cost our businesses thousands of dollars in lost production, and non-poisonous weeds cost farmers and citizens thousands because of weed control and higher prices. And there's one more cost associated with weeds, a cost that you can't put a price tag on. Safety. Some weeds can grow quite tall and can block out vision on our highways. When people can't see at intersections, they're obviously in great danger. That's one good reason why weed control is a big concern for the maintenance division. We have to take responsibility for the enormous amount of land in our right-of-way. Land that in many places is infested with both poisonous and non-poisonous weeds. Beyond that, if we don't control weeds in our right-of-way, it's only going to be a short time until the weeds spread to all the neighboring property. Of course, we have selfish reasons to control weeds, too. Anyone who's worked in maintenance for even a short time knows how important drainage is. Thriving weeds can block our drainage ditches and channels, and the buildup of water will eventually undermine our roadways. Well, what about all the mowing we do? Doesn't that take care of the weed problems? No, unfortunately, it doesn't. Just as with grass, mowing only cuts weeds. It doesn't kill them. And if mowing is done at the wrong time, it can actually make the problem worse by spreading seeds, which of course leads to even more weeds. The only solution then is to treat plants with chemicals so that the entire weed is killed. But this is not as simple a solution as it might sound. In order for a chemical control program to be effective, you have to identify the exact types of weeds to be treated, the time of the year to treat the weed, the type of chemical to use, and the rate to apply it. But before we look at each of these, there's a surprising fact you should know about weed control. Weeds are easiest to kill when they're most healthy. That's because weeds are like chemical factories. When they're growing vigorously, they draw nutrients and moisture from the soil and pump it, so to speak, to every location in the plant. The roots, leaves, stalks, everywhere. When we apply chemicals to a healthy plant, the plant pumps the chemicals and moisture from the soil to all its parts, consequently killing the entire weed. On the other hand, weeds that are not healthy are nearly impossible to kill with chemicals. That's because the factory has essentially shut down. So remember that. If there's no moisture in the soil, the plant isn't working, and spraying chemicals during a drought situation is just a waste of time and money. With that in mind, let's go back and look at the factors for a good weed control program, beginning with weed identification. The first thing you should do is get a copy of weeds and poisonous plants of Wyoming and Utah. This is an excellent resource to help you identify the weeds in your area. As you can see, there are pictures of each type of weed at its various stages of growth. So you can identify the weeds in your area almost any time of the year. Once you've determined the types of weeds and their locations, it's a good idea to plot them on a map. By noting the mild post marker or any other item on the feature inventory such as guardrail or drainage pipe, you can easily keep track of the weeds you have to control. You should also be sure to get a copy of the Utah weed control handbook. In it, you find the type of chemical to use for each type of weed, the rate to apply the chemical, and the best stage of growth to spray the plant. To further help you, you may want to write that information on your map, so you don't have to look it up every time. And that brings us to the next factor, the time of year to treat the weed. With chemical control, timing is everything. As a general rule, the earlier in the plant's life you can spray it, the better chance you'll have of killing it. Now, as we've already seen, the handbook will tell you the best stage of growth to treat the plant. But it doesn't tell you whether that will be in April, May, June, or what have you. That's because the times the plants reach their various growing stages are different all over the state. So it's up to you to determine the time of year to spray. And that's important, because the best time period to treat some weeds is very short. For example, the handbook tells you to treat dire's woad in the rosette stage. And in Salt Lake County, that's about a two week period. So as you can see, weed control isn't something you get to when you can. If you don't treat weeds at the right stage of growth, you're wasting the chemical and your time. Along with seasonal timing, you should also be aware that the time of day can make a big difference. As I said earlier, if the plant isn't drawing moisture, it's not going to draw the chemical either. Okay, we've looked at weed identification and timing. Now let's look at the type of chemical to use. Here again, the handbook is your best reference. It not only tells you the best type of chemical to use for a specific weed, but also how much to use. But selecting the right type of chemical is only the first step. Before going any further, always read the label on the container. Safety has to be your first concern, both for yourself and the property surrounding the areas you'll be spraying. The label will clearly indicate whether you should wear safety glasses, gloves, an aspirator, an apron, or all of these things. Whatever the label suggests in terms of safety gear, wear it. There's just no sense taking chances with potentially dangerous chemicals. You should also check the label to see if there is any problem with compatibility. Some chemicals simply cannot be used with other chemicals. Now as I said, you have to be concerned about the surrounding property. The chemicals you're using will not only kill weeds in the right of way, but also plants on private property. And careful spraying won't solve the problem all by itself. That's because a lot of chemicals drift. So the first rule is, don't spray when the wind is stronger than four miles per hour. It's just too great a danger of the wind carrying the chemical where it could harm other plants. The second rule is to use low drift whenever the label recommends it. As you would expect from its name, the low drift agent will keep the chemical from being carried in the wind. And that brings us to the rate of application. To put it simply, the correct application rate is just that. Correct. Never apply more or less than the rate shown in the handbook. Too little chemical won't kill the plants. And applying too much is just a waste. Dead is dead. You should also know that applying too much or the wrong type of chemical can lead to bigger problems. Here's an example where the wrong use of chemicals has left the slope bare. It certainly doesn't look good, but the real problem is that there's nothing left to stop erosion. So again, always use the right type and the right amount. Of course, you have to know how to use the spraying equipment properly too. There's another course covering the operation of our weed sprayers, but there's one point worth repeating here. Always calibrate the sprayer whenever you change chemicals. Basically, all you have to do is collect the discharge for one minute, measure the amount you collected, and then do some calculations to be sure that the equipment will spray the amount you want. And that brings us to the end of this program on weed control. As you've seen, there are a lot of good reasons for all the fuss, but with your help, we can drastically reduce the amount of money weeds cost us each year.