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Walnut
> Year-Round IPM Program > Dormant/Delayed
Dormant > Winter
Weed Survey
Walnut
 Winter
Weed Survey
Survey for weeds in January or February to determine which winter
weed species are emerging. You can use this information to make
weed management decisions such as herbicide choice or cultivation
practices.
Ideally, tree rows are weed free. Weeds growing in row
middles may be
beneficial in reducing erosion, soil compaction, and water and
sediment
runoff. However, perennial weeds are difficult to control and
should be kept from establishing in row
middles. Winter cover crops will reduce surface water runoff
(minimizing off-site movement of pollutants), reduce
perennial weeds, and improve water penetration.
How to survey your orchards
- After the first fall rains, look for winter
annuals seedlings
in tree rows to check the effectiveness of any
preemergent herbicide applications.
- If you use cultivation for weed control, monitor at least
2 weeks before you plan to cultivate.
- Check the groundcover in row middles for perennial
seedlings.
Check for
regrowth of perennials a few weeks after cultivation.
- Sketch a diagram of the orchard and mark areas
where perennials are found.
- Indicate the growth stage of the weed on the form (seedling
or mature).
- Rate infestation either using a numeric scale from 1 to 5
(1 being the lightest), or using "light," "medium," or "heavy."
- Record your results (sample winter
weed survey
form—.
Survey information collected over a period of years tells you
how weed
populations change and how effective your management operations
have been over the long term. Keep these records so that you
can track weed populations
from year to year to better understand ongoing weed control
problems such as resistance.
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