Noxious Weed Pull -Scentless Chamomile has invaded Park County

July 5th

Calling all South Park residents. We have been invaded by a nightmare of
noxious weeds - scentless chamomile.

This weed has taken over and is a weed we must conquer. The control method is by pulling this weed. Pulling must be done before the flowers start to seed. This will take years of vigilance to achieve. We can accomplish the eradication of this weed!

We need dedicated folks to help organize the weed pull.
For more information please contact the Teller/Park conservation district,
Park County weed board or CUSP

scentless chamomile, Matricaria perforata

. Management objectives for scentless chamomile control should involve
prevention and early detection.
. Seeds of scentless chamomile can remain viable in the soil for up to
ten years; therefore, seed production should be prevented and infestations
should be monitored for several years to prevent re-establishment.
. Preventing or reducing seed production and dispersal can eventually
decrease the spread of the plant.

Maintaining healthy stands of desirable vegetation can also be an effective
control measure because scentless chamomile seedlings can not tolerate
intense competition."

Hand pulling of scentless chamomile is very effective. The key is to pull it before the flowers go to seed. Generally there is a spring and fall flower season. At our altitude there seems to be one continuous, comparatively shorter, flowering season. The flowers have enough nutrition to continue with seed production after they have been pulled. The best management practice is to pull it, bag it and burn it.

Other methods of control include mowing, tilling and herbicide.

"Mowing conducted early in the growing season before plants flower and prior to seed production will reduce populations. Scentless chamomile may produce new flowers below the cutting height of the mower, but mowing will be more effective if stands are mowed often and each successive mowing is lower than the previous". The danger in mowing is once the plant is flowering below the cutting height the stems became woody and very hard to pull. The other alternative is to spray them after mowing. One must be very careful when choosing the chemical being applied. This area is a headwaters area. Many herbicides, approved for use near waterways, can only be sprayed once every 12 months.

"Shallow tillage should be conducted prior to flowering and plants may be
less likely to re-establish if soils are tilled during hot, dry weather."

From the Department of Agricultures web site.

- an escaped ornamental also known as corn chamomile or dog fennel
- grows 1½ to 2 feet
- showy white flowers
- leaves are finely divided into thread-like segments
- reproduced by seed which can remain alive for years
- can cause blistering of muzzles and skin rashes in livestock

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department ... l/agdex871

It looks a little like a shasta daisy in it's appearance.