Weed + Brush Control Service Info in Drought Years
Spike Weed (Hemizonia pungens) VS Yellow Star Thistle (Centaurea solstitialis L)
Serving Greater El Dorado & parts of Sacramento, Placer, Nevada & Amador Counties + Folsom
Benefit from a reputation for excellence in service and technique with Excel Tech, Inc. Give your fence lines, borders, flower beds and fields the room to flourish by eliminating unwanted noxious weeds, using our unique weed control service programs tailored to your needs and property type. Weeds can stifle growth in your flower beds and vegetable gardens. Take back control and eliminate these noxious pests with effective weed control services. Call now to learn more!
Weed Control can be done with broad and narrow spectrum targeting. We can reduce noxious weeds on your property and help restore the landscape beauty and make your life a whole lot easier so you won’t have to pick a whole property full of weeds.
Weed Control Areas:
- Big Fields & Pastures Horse & Cattle Ranches
- Roadsides & Rights of Way
- Residences
- Commercial buldings and Industrial yards
- Ponds
- Fencelines
- Pastures
- Ranches (Cattle & Horses)
- Small Farms
- Slopes
- Landscapes & Flowerbeds
- Lawns and Turf
- Rural Developments
- Fire Breaks
- Forrests
- Small Orchards and Vineyards
Common Problem Weeds:
- Yellow Star Thistle and other Thistles
- Spike Weed
- Poison Oak
- Puncturevine
- Medusahead Grass
- Goat Grass
- Blackberries
- Stinkwort
- Mares Tail
- Hedge Parsley
- Mustards
- Mullen
- Cattails
- Etc.
There has been an increase in calls about a mysterious weed that looks very much like Yellow Star Thistle. This weed, Spike weed, has yellow flowers with short spines all over the plant including the stems & flowers. Spike weed also has a peculiar pungent odor, whereas star thistle does not. Yellow Star Thistle has long spines located on the flowering tips. Yellow star thistle is a non-native species, whereas Spike weed is native to this area. Both plants will invade a property rapidly, especially if the property or pasture is over-grazed. Spike weed is not well controlled by the material, transline. Because the two weeds germinate at different times, it is crucial to know their differences in scheduling when to have your property treated. Yellow Star Thistle germinates as early as Dec. and flowers in spring. Therefore, if you have Yellow Star Thistle, you will need to have the area treated from Jan–May depending on rainfall during the season. Spike weed germinates during the spring and flowers during summer July –Sept. Therefore, if you have Spike weed, you will need to have the area treated from April–June before it goes to seed & begins to mature.
- Yellow Star Thistle: One application per year for three years in a row if you are only controlling yellow star thistle in order to exhaust the seed supply. After that, one application every two years should keep the yellow star thistle populations down.
- Poison Oak: Probably one of the most misidentified plants. The leaves & stems can vary in structure making it hard to identify. Best time to control it is in the months of April through June when plant is fully leafed out. When clearing property, spraying out the poison oak first is highly recommended.
- Blackberries: Himalayan Blackberries are the most commonly found non-native invasive berry vine here in the foothills. It invades creek beds and other damp or wet areas. Best time to treat is summer through fall.
“What if it rains after a treatment is done? Does it wash the material off?”
Because our industry often deals with inclement weather conditions, we have materials that we add to the main mix such as wetting agents and spreader-stickers. These agents act to adhere the material to the weeds. Once the material has dried, it is not easily washed off by rain. Also if it is a pre-emergent treatment, the rain will help to activate the material in the soil.
“What if it’s windy? Do you still spray in windy conditions?”
The answer is that slight amounts of wind are not a problem because we use drift control agents. However, if it is too windy we will not do the application. We do not reschedule right away because we may be able to treat at another time during the scheduled day if conditions become favorable. If not, we will then contact you to re-schedule.
“How long does the material last?”
Typical control ranges from two to six months depending on temperature, UV light, rainfall, soil conditions and the type of weeds that are to be controlled.
“How often will I need to have most weeds treated?”
For best results, we do two applications during the year. Usually, a September and a March application will give the best control. Three or more applications may be necessary if the weed populations are high or if you have some difficult weed species such as mullen, telegraph weeds, puncture vines, etc.
