Weed Warriors

from Northstar Living Fall 2020

Fitness Corner

Once A Weed Warrior Always a Weed Warrior

By Kathy Welch

Just as we were planning the seventh annual Northstar Day, a global pandemic intervened. With this challenge came opportunity.

During previous Northstar Days, Homeowners joined forces with the Management Groups at Northstar and focused on controlling Bull Thistle and Poison Hemlock. Both of these non-native first year they form a rosette; the second year, the rosettes produce a flowering stalk which sets and disperses thousands of seeds per plant. These biennial plants then die. Fortunately, seeds already in the soil only live about three years. We have been very successful in mechanically controlling these in the past during our annual Northstar Day.

This year it was up to Individuals to continue the effort. We removed Bull Thistle rosettes and placed them in the sun to wither and die. Later in the year, we clipped off Bull Thistle flowering stalks, placed them in plastic bags, and solarized them until seeds decomposed (@1-2 months). After solarization these bags were placed in dumpsters without the danger of spreading weeds further.

Community members also addressed Poison Hemlock. By removing the flowering stalks of Poison Hemlock before seed dispersal, we prevented the dissemination of thousands of Poison invasive plants live only two years. The

Hemlock seeds. Thanks to previous efforts near the creek behind the Aspen Grove Condominium complex, we have greatly reduced the populations of this poisonous plant.

As Weed Warriors worked in the field, they noticed perennial non-native invasive plants that are almost impossible to mechanically remove. If we dig them up, we invariably leave root fragments which generate new plants. This year we recorded populations of Canada Thistle and Spotted Knapweed in flower, clipped off the flowering plants at the base, bagged and solarized them. We then relayed that information to the Placer County Agriculture Dept. They have worked with Northstar for many years in controlling class A & B noxious weeds, but they do not have the personnel to scout the 7,000 acres in Northstar. Our job is to find the populations and report them to the county. Placer County does the rest. From left to right: Bryan Miller, Linda Oakland, David Welch and Marilyn Forni.

Thanks to The Truckee River Watershed Council and the US Forest Service, we can access a document that identifies non-native plants. For help visit: www. truckeeriverwc.org/wp-content/images/ documents/TNFWB_Web8-7-09.pdf

If you would like to verify weed identification, contact Kathy Welch, 510.332.7913. To report a weed to Placer County: Michael Plotz, Placer County Agriculture Department, 530.889.7372 or mplotz@placer.ca.gov

Success in most endeavors requires persistence and cooperation. Even in a pandemic the Northstar Community continues its work in the control of nonnative invasive plants.

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News Magazine Of the Northstar Property Owners Association 2200 North Village Drive Truckee, CA 96161