We
offer a program we call RPM (Rangeland and Pasture Management)
to assist our small/medium acreage landowners "rev-up"
their pastures and open space.
Maybe
you are just settling into your new life in the country
and don't know how to deal with that thistle infested field,
that in your minds eye, is supposed to be rolling green
pastures with splashes of Indian Paintbrush. Or maybe you
are a well established landowner and those horses and cattle
you have, have turned your green pastures into a dust bowl.
Or maybe, you are a serious small acreage breeder of very
valuable, persnickety little creatures like these….
…No
matter what your scenario is, we can help you achieve the
look and function you have in mind for your little piece
of heaven.
Land
Rehab's RPM program is fueled by the knowledge that an integrated
approach (use of more than one method) is usually the best
management practice. Component services that we offer include:
Soil
Analysis
Most
people assume that all soil is more or less the same. They
are unaware that great differences in soil properties can
occur within very short distances. The information that
can be obtained from doing sample averages on even a five-acre
site can make the difference between success and failure
in a custom drill seeding project. The information obtained
allows us to develop custom seed mixes, and it provides
us valuable information to develop best management practices
(BMP's) for erosion control. It also gives us some predictability
about drainage and plant growth probability.
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Low
drift boomless sprayer, capable of adjustable widths
from 3 to 30 feet.
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More
precise spraying with a hose and hand gun.
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Chemical
Weed Control
In
professional hands, chemical weed control can often be the
most effective method of weed management. You may want to
start eliminating the weeds in your pasture and leave the
grasses (Broadleaf treatment). There may be areas on your
property like drive ways, parking lots, storage yards or
building perimeters that you would like to have total vegetation
control on (Bare-ground
treatment). We can recommend chemicals, rates of application
and best application seasons based on careful examination
of your property and the specific plants that you have concerns
about.
Please
see our Weed Control Page
for more info on this component. Land Rehab is licensed
by the Colorado Department of Agriculture as a Commercial
Pesticide Applicator.
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Custom
Drill Seeding
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Pipeline
ROW on private property. Five weeks after drill seeding
with no mulch.
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Drill
seeding is accomplished with a "seed drill" pulled
by a tractor. For areas that are not irrigated or do not
have sprinkler systems drill seeding is by far the most
superior method for seeding. Unlike Hydro-seeding (where
the seed stays on top of the soil), drill seeding places
the seeds into the soil. The drill digs a furrow,
plants and packs the seed. In areas that cannot be disturbed
with a tractor such as near a building or garden we can
hand broadcast and rake the seeds into the soil.
There
are a couple of steps that may or may not be needed in custom
drill seeding applications…
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Soil
Preparation - In new construction where
soil has been compacted from traffic or has just
been bare for a long time. Disking may be
necessary to loosen and aerate the soil so that
the seeds have a better "bed" and an increased
chance for survival.
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Mulching
- If we are not seeding an area that has some vegetation
already (such as a pasture) we can mulch over the
newly drilled seeds. Mulching provides protection
from wind erosion and retains the much needed and
hard-to-come-by moisture that the seeds need to
germinate. A good mulching application looks like
the mulch material (straw in this case) is growing
out of the ground.
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New
home drill seed and mulch installation.
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Properly
crimped mulch stands out of the soil and creates the
protection and moisture holding affect that the seeds
need to germinate.
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Applying
weed free straw mulch, which will then be "crimped"
into the soil.
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Seed-To-Soil
contact is the preferred method of incorporation, however
in certain situations hydro-seeding can be very successful.
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Hydro-Seeding
Hydro-seeding
is a method of seed application where a "slurry"
of water, seed, mulch fiber and sometimes fertilizer is
sprayed onto an area. Hydro-seeding can be a great alternative
for areas that are too steep to drill seed and areas that
are going to be irrigated or have installed sprinkler systems.
Hydro-seeding is appealing because the mulch fiber that
is mixed in the slurry is green, which gives the area a
more finished look while waiting for growth. Don't be fooled
though, generally we cannot just leave this kind of installation
without some TLC.
Critical
factors to a successful hydro-seed installation are:
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Erosion
Control - Erosion needs to be monitored carefully
with hydro-seed installations. The slurry forms
a layer on top of the soil and can be disturbed
by erosion underneath that layer or rilling through
the installation. The integrity of a uniform hydro-seed
installation is very important to success.
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Consistent
Moisture - Since there is no seed-to-soil contact,
the seeds are trapped in the mulch fiber. In order
for them to germinate they must be kept moist. In
an arid area such as Southern Colorado, that means
we generally have to tend to the installation until
growth begins.
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With
the proper seed mix and available moisture, hydro-seeding
can produces a beautiful uniform installation of desirable
vegetation.
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Mowing
Simple
as it sounds mowing is an integral part of most IPM programs.
Mowing is important for several reasons:
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Reduces
fire hazard |
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Reduction
of weed seed dispersal by removal of seed bearing
plant parts before they have a chance to "go
to seed". |
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In
early spring mowing last years vegetation can make
chemical weed control more effective as the new weeds
emerge, by allowing better contact of herbicide and
foliage. |
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After drill seeding, mowing can provide the valuable
mulch needed to hold moisture. |
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Manicured
mowed fields look good! |
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Your
neighbors will appreciate that you are keeping your
weeds to yourself. |
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Straw
wattles, rip-rap, straw erosion blanket and mulch
all used together to control a major drainage area.
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"Rilling"
erosion after an expensive hydro-seeding application.
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Erosion
Control
Controlling
erosion is not just for bridge and highway projects. There
are plenty of opportunities for erosion to occur in our
rural residential areas. Over grazing and new home construction
are perfect areas for erosion to begin.
Many methods of controlling erosion are available…
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Erosion
Control Blankets |
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Check
dams |
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Silt
Fence |
…just
to name a few.
Land
Rehab, Inc. is a proud member of the International Erosion
Control Association and we are always learning about new
products and installation methods to keep your land from
washing away.
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Multi-Property
Discounts
We
believe that we all have a responsibility to keep Colorado
beautiful. If everyone were mindful of managing the increasing
weed problem, stopping erosion, reducing the risk of fires
and encouraging healthy native vegetation growth in their
own back yards, we would all reap the rewards in the future.
As
a landowner, it is very frustrating to painstakingly clip
seed heads from thistle, invest in a chemical control plan
and plant acres of good healthy grass seed if our neighbor
does nothing. The wind will make sure that your neighbor's
weeds end up on your property no matter how hard you have
worked. That gully that begins on your neighbor's property
and flows onto yours is slowly removing land that you are
paying taxes on!
Land
Rehab, Inc. will offer discounts to homeowners associations
and offer multi-property discounts to those owners that
get together and agree to address problem areas together
on the same schedule.
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Contact
Information
LAND
REHAB, INC.
309
Pleasant Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80904
info@landrehab.com
719-475-1754
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