Early Noxious Weed Detection

Weeds are dangerous for wildlife and cattle. They cause damage to land, causing erosion and the loss of plants. While treating the weeds you have is important, you want to detect them as early as possible. The sooner you handle the weeds, the easier it will be to prevent the infestation.
There are many types of weeds. March and April commonly sees the growth of Cheatgrass, Mustards and Kochia, so it’s important to look out for them now.
Cheatgrass Signs
As a winter weed, cheatgrass tend to germinate in the early fall or sometime in the late summer. They tend to be semi-dormant in the winter and then spring up as soon as possible towards the end of March. You’ll see the grasses set with seeds by June! Look out for prickly seedheads. They’re annoying for pets and livestock, but a good sign you have Cheatgrass.
Mustard Signs
The Blue Mustard or Flixweed are both mustard weeds. You’ll tell that you have them from the pungent smell. While the seedlings emerge in the early spring, you’ll see flowers appear in the late spring/early summer. Flixweed flowers may not appear until August!
Kochia Signs
The final weed to look out for in March and April is the Kochia. You won’t see the flowers until July-September, but they start germinating in March. You’ll see tumbleweeds form in the fall and winter, which is often one of the earlier signs people spot—signs that they don’t need to look carefully for! This is one of the more common weeds in dry areas and will also live on roadsides and rangelands.
You’ll need to treat the weeds when young. They all spread their seeds quickly, through animals and the air. Preventing the spread of the seeds will reduce the weeds over time until there is nothing left. It is a long-term treatment.

Early noxious weed detection is very important in preventing noxious weed infestation. If your pasture or rangeland is infested with noxious weeds like kochia or cheatgrass, call SprayTech for a free estimate. (720)248-0000.