Mechanical Control Sample Clauses

Mechanical Control. Mechanical control of nuisance plant species typically includes cutting, mowing and/or the digging up individual plants by hand. In many cases, cutting or mowing a plant before its seeds mature will minimize further spread. Cutting or mowing close to the ground surface with a weed-eater or hand-scythe can be an effective means of control for species such as sweet clover, various thistles, and ragweed. For general mowing of swaths of vegetation, mowers will be set to a height of 12+ inches above the ground surface or to a height that treats weedy species yet minimizes impacts on desirable plants. For species such as common ▇▇▇▇, purple loosestrife, Canada thistle, and ▇▇▇▇ canarygrass, mowing actually encourages the spread of underground stems. Hand digging these species and woody undesirables such as multiflora rose can result in control if there are fewer than 100 plants throughout the entire site. Where more than 100 individuals of such plants are present, chemical control will be the primary method of control. (Note: Pulling and digging out weeds generally is discouraged because the soil disturbance can uproot desirable plants and encourage the growth of more weeds.)