Weeds & Fire Fuels
Cheatgrass & Foxtail Management
Cheatgrass and foxtail are two invasive grasses that tend to dominate landscapes and can also pose a serious fire risk to homes and communities. This page includes information on what cheatgrass and foxtail are, why they’re an issue in Moab, and how we can manage foxtail and cheatgrass on our properties.
What are cheatgrass and foxtail?
Cheatgrass and foxtail are non-native, invasive annual grasses that have become well established throughout the western United States — including in Moab! These species are winter annual grasses, meaning that they germinate in the fall, begin to sprout soon after the first snowmelt, form seeds by mid-to-late spring, and dry out soon after the seeds mature — completing their life cycle by the beginning of summer.
Why are they a threat?
Cheatgrass and foxtail pose a threat to our community, pets, gardens, and wild landscapes in several ways:
Fire threats
There are several characteristics that make cheatgrass and foxtail an especially dangerous fire hazard:
- These weeds dry out and die in early summer — just in time for rising temperatures and the beginning of a typical wildfire season.
- Standing, dead grasses provide hot, fast-burning fuels and can greatly amplify wildfire risks. Cheatgrass fires burn quick and hot, and can readily ignite volatile fuels like trees or structures.
- In high-precipitation years, densely-growing cheatgrass and foxtail provide more fuels to fires, creating the conditions for larger, hotter, and ultimately more dangerous wildfires, which can threaten homes and our community.
Threats to pets
- The sharp seeds of these grasses can twist and burrow into paws, ears, eyes, and skin, creating abscesses and infections.
Threats to our landscapes
- Foxtail and cheatgrass start growing earlier than many native plants. In disturbed areas, they tend to dominate and crowd out native plant species, making ecosystems less healthy and resilient.
Cheatgrass after seedset.
Foxtail after seedset.
How do I manage cheatgrass and foxtail on my property?
The best strategy for managing these weeds on your property is by reducing the amount of viable seeds in the soil. This can be done with a combination of methods based on the time of year and the growth stage of the plants. Controlling these weeds will likely take more than one year, but don’t be discouraged! Every effort counts towards lessening next year’s crop.
Options for managing cheatgrass & foxtail
METHOD 1
Manual removal (Hand-pulling, grubbers, hoes)
TIME OF YEAR: Late winter and early spring
PLANT GROWTH STAGE: All growth stages
A great option for managing these plants is by hand-pulling them, collecting the seeds, and disposing of them into bags or secure containers. This method can be used at any point throughout the plant’s growth cycle — from sprout to seedset.
METHOD 2
Herbicide application
TIME OF YEAR: Late winter* to early spring
*Only when ground is not frozen
PLANT GROWTH STAGE: Plants are green with no seed heads
Herbicide application can be an effective method to treat cheatgrass and foxtail, and also comes with a number of considerations. Chemical treatments will not be effective if the grasses have gone to seed, so the timing of the application is crucial. Herbicide also comes with inherent health and environmental risks, which can be mostly mitigated by reading, understanding, and following the herbicide label attached to each product; wearing full personal protective equipment, including chemical-resistant gloves, long sleeves and pants, close-toed shoes, and eye protection; carefully applying herbicide in a way that won’t impact desired vegetation and waterways; and thoroughly washing hands, clothing, and equipment after completing the treatment. Be sure to research which herbicide is best suited for your treatment areas. If herbicide is applied properly and effectively, the need for herbicide will decrease in subsequent years.
METHOD 3
Mowing or trimming
TIME OF YEAR: Late spring, typically late April throughout May
PLANT GROWTH STAGE: Plants are green, purple, brown or tan and have heavy, drooping seed heads
Mowing and/or trimming followed by collecting cut grasses and seeds will help reduce future growth of these plants. Ideally, mow while the plants are still green. If plants are purple, brown, and dried out, avoid mowing with metal blades or idling gas-powered tools as these may produce sparks which could trigger a grass fire. String trimmers are a safer alternative.
METHOD 4
Mulching
TIME OF YEAR: Any time of year
PLANT GROWTH STAGE: Any growth stage
Mulching helps improve soils and makes yards more weed-resistant. As mulch breaks down, it also helps keep soil cooler and preserves moisture. The mulch needs to be deep (at least 4 inches) to properly smother cheatgrass.
Cheatgrass Identification
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In winter (before seedset), cheatgrass is bright green (possibly purple at the base) and covered in downy hairs. The grasses may have a slight corkscrew shape at their base.
In spring (after seedset), cheatgrass develops a heavy, nodding seedhead and quickly starts to die and cure, starts to turn purple.
In late spring and by early summer (after curing), cheatgrass turns fully purple, yellow, or brown. At this point it has completed its lifecycle.
Foxtail Identification
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In winter (before seedset), foxtail appears as a bright green grass, similar to cheatgrass.
In spring (after seedset), foxtail grows its recognizable spiky seedhead though it appears flat, short, and rigid.
In spring and summer, foxtail fully develops its long, spiky seedhead. Plants can be densely packed, especially around water sources, and can grow to be a foot tall.