Establishing a Weed Nursery with Low Construction Costs and Maintenance Requirements

Abstract

A nursery of economically important weeds in Kansas field crops, representing 15 families, was designed to include 32 species from the Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons) class and 16 species from the Liliopsida (monocotyledons) class. Using hydraulically operated equipment, 48 facricated metal cylinders 60 cm in both diameter and length were inserted in 4 h. Cylinders were inserted 40 cm deep on an established turf site and were filled with Muir silt loam collected near Manhattan, KS. Thirty summer annual species, nine perennial species, and one biennial species were transplanted in the spring; and eight winter annual species either were seeded or were transplanted in the fall. All species except tall waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) J.D. Sauer # AMATU), a dioecious species, Russian thistle (Salsola iberica Sennen & Pau # SASKR), and unicorn-plant [Proboscidea louisianica (Mill.) Thellung # PROLO] successfully propagated themselves from either seed or buds. Labor requirements for healthy plant growth and overall nursery attractiveness were estimated at 50 h/yr. Installation costs prorated over a 10-yr period plus annual labor costs totaled $300/yr.