Knappweed best eradication-control protocol.

I have just purchased an 8 acre piece of property here in montana and I look like I have knappweed. What do I do. when do I mow. What species of grasses prevent recurrance.

couldn't find knappweed in the Plantfiles, so I don't know. Tell me more please.
Sidney

It is a noxious weed here in Montana and all the rocky mountain states and it seeds itself everywhere. All I know is that no biologics work and herbicide is only method of control once established. Mostly what I wanted to know if anyone has used a propane torch to stop the seeds or does it make it worse? Russian Knappweed, Spotted Knappweed.
It is a biennial with purple thistle like flowers and a DEEEEEEEEP taproot.

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/31914/index.html Looks bad! And this is the other,
Put out bee hives! http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/31857/index.html
Sidney

Thank you sugarweed. I think I will mow the area well in advance of setting flower and burn the 1st year bienneal. I'll have to look into herbicide because here you must eradicate/cut/control the bugger.

Whoa, hold on a second.

Repeated burning can control some Centaurea but I’d try for a biological control on this one depending on your elevation. Granted, biological controls don't work over night and you may have to introduce them a few years in a row but I think the results have actually been quite good based on what I've heard so far. Consider trying a combo release to reduce seed production and biomass, Urophora affinis & Agapeta zoegana should compliment each other quite well. Those two looked most promising and it’s one of those gifts that can go on giving long after they’ve done their job at your place and have moved on to other people's properties as well as to public land. There’s a weevil out there that is proving to be very effective- Bangasternus fausti which you should probably check out. Not much information was available on that back when I was poking around.

I went the chemical route only because there weren’t enough of them around to ensure that I could colonize the flies or the moths effectively. Doesn't sound to me as if you are lacking sufficient Knapweed to have a go at using a biological control. Sigh... I didn't have enough to go the route I would have preferred. I found that Dicamba and Picloram worked well but Glyphosate worked equally well and that’s a short life chemical. I sprayed the Knapweed late morning on days when there was little or no wind and just waited until they died off. I had trouble getting them out of the ground so I resorted to using a pruning sheers and whacked them off at the base and added them to my burn pile. I believe I had Centaurea maculosa but maybe it was C. repens, I don't recall off hand without looking for photos to see which one was here. Special plants, very special. They burn well.

Well our DNR flyer said biologics don't work. They have a grave prognosis for complete control. Well that just stimulates me to go to work. Hey don't take away my therapy. Do you know how satisifying burning weeds is. I can't wait. Each weed will have the name of a challenge that I didn't succeed at and when I burn it just leaves my life. Kind of like giving it to God. The elevation here is approx 3,000 ft above sea level. What beetles and how do they work. when do I release them.

Eeek, your elevation may knock you out of the box which may be why the DNR flyer claimed biologicals don't work. They'd be the ones in the know. Burn baby burn, disco inferno! And, yes... I do know how satisfying it is to torch the buggers. It's much better therapy than stomping on bubble wrap. Can I come and bring a Disco ball to hang up on a big long pole while you are torching away. Please can I can I can I bring a disco ball?

I vivid remember a christmas party that Microsoft had in Seattle at the new convention center. Every floor and room had a different decade of music from the 40's thru the 80's
This was around 1986. Well I of course related to all but the 40's and especially the 70's. Yes, I did a John Travolta across the floor on my knees and the polyester was attached to my knee caps for over a week. Yes my hands were raised and a smile was on my face but at the end of the floor I had to retire rapidly, to the rest room to extinguish the flames.
yes Equil here is where we will hang the ball on a may pole. It shall be a new holiday Cinquo De Mayo with Donna Summers singing from the barn rafters. Maybe we should call it "Sink-O-Centaurea"

That is awesome. I wanna burn too and I have propane burner techno experiencio too.
When I was young my folks had all the $$s, so I even relate to those 40s. But will burn and dance to almost anything that doesn't threaten me or cuss me out.
Sidney

We're big, we're bad... we're showing our age! Sheesh, remember those wrap around skirts that blew up over our faces when we went over subway vents? And those walking suits or whatever they called them. Egads, are we children of the 50's and 60's or what!

I was scheduled to take a class with the fire department for 4 days of burning with the 5th day being an actual field exercise but it was cancelled for lack of participation. Shucks, that is the second time that has happened to me. I so hate being all dressed up with no where to go!

Say sofer, I found a good all around link while out there trying to figure out what I had read about higher elevations. Maybe you could contact someone from this link and see what you can unearth-
http://www.invasive.org/eastern/biocontrol/13Knapweed.html

Thank you I read some of the critters but 40% reduction of a seed head of 9,000 seeds per plant isnt much. I veeeeelll torch zeeee varmits. Ahaaaaaaahaaaaaaaahaaaaaa!!!!
Ahhhhhhhhaaaaaaahahhahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahhhhhhhaaaaaaa!!!!
Oh dear I get excited about saving the planet from a varmit. Steve.

May the FORCE be with you!

ROFLMBO!!
You guys (and gal) are hilarious!
Seriously, tho,the more I listen to you in so many forums- the more I realize just how stupid I am. So, onward and upward! "Learn" me all you can!!!!
Meanwhile, tho, I'll not tell DH about my deficiant brain- as he thinks Im a garden guru! gotta love that man. :-)
Deanna