Vegetation Management

Another method of weed control used by Sturgeon County – and by most people who do any amount of lawn care – is manual and mechanical weed control. These methods include manually removing weeds, otherwise called “handpicking”. Other forms of mechanical control include mowing, cutting, or working up the soil. These methods are most often used in and around obstacles, environmentally sensitive areas such as water bodies, or to target smaller patches of more difficult-to-manage weeds.

Unfortunately, some weed species cannot be controlled in this way. This may be because of their ability to reproduce from all parts of the plant, such as flowering rush, or from their perennial growth habit, such as Canada thistle. Other times it is because the infestation is simply too big for one person to tackle effectively. This is where other weed control options must be considered.

Biological control methods use other organisms to control weed or vegetation growth. These species are usually the ‘natural enemy’ of the weed species – an insect or disease that evolved with them. Most weed species are introduced from other countries, and their natural enemies did not get introduced with them.

Biological control methods can include:

• Livestock grazing: for this to be successful, the grazing must be managed closely. When not managed, livestock grazing can cause weeds to flourish. Goats and sheep can be used to graze weeds that are toxic to other livestock, such as leafy spurge.
• Insects: research is being done on many weed species, including yellow toadflax, leafy spurge, common tansy, and Canada thistle. Introducing insect species is a complicated process and not many species are approved for introduction.
• Plant pathogens: some plant species have diseases that can control their spread. Introducing pathogenic species is an even more complicated process and very few pathogen species are approved for introduction.

Biological control options are long-term strategies, and one does not see results quickly. They can be a good option for sensitive areas, but often thrive in very specific conditions. Sturgeon County continues to find integrated pest management solutions for controlling noxious weeds, and biological control is a consideration. The Alberta Invasive Species Council (AISC) has several biological control agent projects active.

Use of herbicides is sometimes necessary to control noxious and prohibited noxious weeds and other undesirable vegetation on municipal property including lands and County road allowances. All products used in our programs are registered for use by the Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) and are used per the label and the Alberta Environmental Code of Practice for Pesticides. Sometimes these applications are performed by professional contractors and other times they are performed by Internal County staff who receive specialized training and certification to ensure they apply the products in a way that ensures the safety of themselves and members of the public. There are times when Degelman One-Pass Systems are utilized by trained operators to treat brush and other unwanted vegetation at the time of mowing.

When applications take place in open spaces and parks accessible to the public, signage is used to ensure they are aware of the application and of any applicable precautions or entry restrictions.

Refer to the following contacts for assistance in maintaining vegetation on your private property.

 The vegetation management providers list is to be used as a resource and is voluntary for landowners and those participating.