This invasive plant is toxic to horses; find out ways to control it
This spiky weed, the yellow starthistle, is invasive across California, and very dangerous to horses. Photo by Eugene Zelenko, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
It’s prickly, invasive and can kill a horse. Those are just a few reasons yellow starthistle is considered such a bad weed.
Right now, this noxious plant is getting ready for another attack on California. A winter-growing annual, starthistle produces seed in September and October that sprouts with fall rain. Found in every county, starthistle is estimated to be the dominant plant across 15 million acres in California alone.
With deep taproots, starthistle seems impervious to many attempts at control. Yes, it does support pollinators (and makes delicious honey), but starthistle is toxic to horses – which makes it downright dangerous in pastures.
Learn ways to control starthistle -- before it’s too late -- in a free workshop, offered by the El Dorado County master gardeners.
Set for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 26, “Starthistle Management” will take a deep dive into this thorny subject with loads of practical information. The in-person class will be held at the Bethel-Delfino Ag Building in Placerville.
“Join Master Gardener Steve Savage to learn about this invasive weed that has taken over large portions of California’s range land and urban landscape,” say the master gardeners. “Learn about its origins, how it moves, why it is so difficult to control, how to overcome these difficulties, control methods, and how to design an effective control program.”
Native to the Mediterranean, yellow starthistle likely came to California (and the greater Sacramento area) in contaminated animal feed during the Gold Rush, say UC researchers. This weed loved the climate and quickly became a nuisance. It thrives where other plants struggle, such as compacted dirt along roadways.
No advance registration for the workshop is needed, although it is appreciated, say the master gardeners; space is limited. The Bethel-Delfino Ag Building is located at 311 Fair Lane, Placerville.
More details and registration link: https://mgeldorado.ucanr.edu/
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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3
November still offers good weather for fall planting:
* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.
* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.
* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.
* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.
* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.
* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.
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