• ♦Manual Notice 2009-2
• ►1. Vegetation Management Guidelines
  • ►1. Introduction
    • ♦Background
    • ♦Purposes of Guidelines
  • ►2. Determining Levels of Vegetation Management
    • ♦Purpose of Levels
    • ♦Who Determines the Levels?
  • ►3. Guidelines for Levels of Vegetation Management
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Developed Urban Highways
    • ♦Mowing and Trimming
    • ♦Herbicide Application
    • ♦Wildflowers
    • ♦Ornamental Plantings
    • ♦Erosion Control
    • ♦Wildlife Habitat and Native Plant Conservation
    • ♦Endangered and Threatened Plants and Animals
    • ♦Invasive Species
    • ♦Rural Highways
    • ♦Mowing and Trimming
    • ♦Herbicide Application
    • ♦Wildflowers
    • ♦Ornamental Plantings
    • ♦Erosion Control
    • ♦Wildlife Habitat and Native Plant Conservation
    • ♦Endangered and Threatened Plants and Animals
    • ♦Invasive Species
  • ►4. Special Situations
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Manicured Areas
    • ♦Grass Establishment
    • ♦Native Grasses
• ►2. Mowing Standards
  • ►1. Types of Mowing
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Modified Full-Width Mowing
    • ♦Strip Mowing
    • ♦Spot Mowing for Safety
  • ►2. Transitions
    • ♦When Required
    • ♦Rate
  • ►3. Special Mowing Situations
    • ♦Rural Medians and Outer Separations
    • ♦Rural Intersections
    • ♦Urban Intersections
    • ♦Cut and Fill Sections
    • ♦Rest Areas and Picnic Areas
  • ►4. Mowing and Herbicide Application
    • ♦Need for Coordination
    • ♦How Overspray Herbicide Works
    • ♦Guidelines
    • ♦More Information
  • ►5. Mowing and Litter Pickup
    • ♦Guideline
    • ♦Explanation
  • ►6. Other Precautions
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Delay Mowing When Soil Is Wet
    • ♦Avoid Mowing Steep Slopes
    • ♦Use Appropriate Cutting Height
    • ♦Coordinate Mowing with Grass Seed Production
  • ►7. Non-Mow or Natural Areas and Acreage Evaluations
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Establishing Non-Mow or Natural Areas
    • ♦Calculating Acreage to be Mowed
• ►3. Herbicide Operations
  • ►1. Introduction to Herbicides
    • ♦Overview
  • ►2. Variables Affecting Herbicides
    • ♦Factors
    • ♦Type and Species of Plant to be Controlled
    • ♦Annual and Biennial Plants
    • ♦Perennial Plants
    • ♦Aquatic Plants
    • ♦Soil Type
    • ♦Wind Velocity
    • ♦Humidity
    • ♦Rainfall
    • ♦Temperature
    • ♦Water Quality
    • ♦Application Methods and Timing
  • ►3. Types of Herbicides
    • ♦Soil-Active (Residual) Herbicides
    • ♦Foliar-Applied Herbicides
  • ►4. Types of Control
    • ♦Bare Ground (or Complete) Vegetation Control
    • ♦Selective Weeding
    • ♦Chemical Mowing
  • ►5. Equipment
    • ♦Model 85 Spray Unit (GSD Issue)
    • ♦Fixture Operations
    • ♦Turbodrop Nozzles
    • ♦Wick Applicator
  • ►6. Surfactants
    • ♦General Characteristics of Surfactants
    • ♦Mixing Rates for Department Stocked Surfactants
    • ♦Surfactants Approved for Use with Department-approved Herbicides
    • ♦Precautions Using Surfactants
  • ►7. Drift Control Agents
    • ♦Information about Drift Control Agents
    • ♦Currently Approved Drift Control Agents
    • ♦Mixing Drift Control Agents with Roundup Pro and Landmark XP
    • ♦Mixing Drift Control Agents with Roundup Pro, Escort XP and Outrider
    • ♦Mixing Drift Control Agents with Roundup Pro and Outrider
    • ♦ Mixing Drift Control Agents with Approved Aquatic Herbicide
    • ♦Mixing Drift Control Agents with Escort XP
    • ♦Mixing Drift Control Agents with Transline
    • ♦Mixing Drift Control Agents with Vista
  • ►8. Calibration
    • ♦Reasons for Calibration
    • ♦Calibration during Fixture Boom Operations
    • ♦Examples of Calibrating Fixture with Regular Nozzles
    • ♦Examples of Calibrating Fixture with Turbodrop Nozzles
  • ►9. Precautions
    • ♦Precautionary Statements
    • ♦Do’s and Don’ts While Applying Herbicides
    • ♦Equipment
    • ♦Application Guidelines
    • ♦Procedures to Follow for an Herbicide Spill
    • ♦Preventing Lateral Movement of Soil Residual Herbicides
  • ►10. Toxicity
    • ♦Precautions
  • ►11. Protected Plant Species
    • ♦Management of Protected Plant Species
  • ►12. Laws and Regulations
    • ♦Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) and Texas Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB)
  • ►13. Herbicide Spraying Operations
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Bare ground Applications
    • ♦Guardrail Applications
    • ♦Noxious Weed Control
    • ♦Brush and Tree Control
    • ♦Aquatic Weed Control
  • ►14. Noxious Weeds and Pests on the Right of Way
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Johnson grass
    • ♦Field Bindweed
    • ♦African Rue
    • ♦Mesquite
    • ♦Huisache
    • ♦Retama
    • ♦Cattails
    • ♦Bermuda grass
    • ♦Wild oats and Jointed Goat grass
    • ♦Musk Thistle
    • ♦Giant Ragweed (Blood weed)
    • ♦Sunflower
    • ♦Kochia and Russian Thistle (Tumbleweed)
    • ♦Georgia Cane or Giant Reed
    • ♦Salt cedar
    • ♦Kudzu
    • ♦Switchgrass
    • ♦Turnip Weed
    • ♦Morning Glory Vine
    • ♦Western Bitterweed
    • ♦Itchgrass
    • ♦Other Right of Way Pests
  • ►15. Approved Chemicals for Right of Way Vegetation Management
    • ♦Roundup® Pro
    • ♦General Characteristics
    • ♦Effects of Roundup Pro Application During Dry Weather
    • ♦Effects of Roundup Pro Applications
    • ♦Application Guidelines for Roundup Pro - Fall Application
    • ♦Use of Roundup Pro for Johnson grass Control (Bermuda Release)
    • ♦Flex 5 Spray Unit (GSD Issue)
    • ♦Calibration Procedure for Roundup Pro, Water and Drift Control Agent for All Herbicide Spray Units Without Computer Injection
    • ♦Roundup Pro Applications in Chemical Mowing (Treating around Desirable Trees & Shrubs)
    • ♦Roundup Pro for Control of Switchgrass
    • ♦Roundup Pro for Control of Wild oats or Jointed Goat grass
    • ♦Roundup Pro for Complete Control in Riprap, Raised Medians, Paved Medians and Retaining Walls
    • ♦General Characteristics of Landmark® XP (Replaces Oust XP)
    • ♦General Characteristics of Outrider®
    • ♦Use of Roundup Pro + Outrider Combination for Johnson grass Control
    • ♦Use of Roundup Pro + Escort XP + Outrider for Johnson grass Control
    • ♦Application with the Fixture Boom on All Herbicide Units
    • ♦Approved Aquatic Herbicide
    • ♦General Characteristics of Approved Aquatic Herbicide
    • ♦Application Procedures for Approved Aquatic Herbicides
    • ♦Application Timing for Approved Aquatic Herbicide
    • ♦Escort® XP
    • ♦General Characteristics of Escort XP
    • ♦Application Procedures with Escort XP
    • ♦Use of Escort XP with Combination of Roundup Pro + Outrider for Johnson Grass and Broadleaf Weed Control
    • ♦Transline®
    • ♦General Characteristics of Transline
    • ♦Application Procedures for Transline on Musk Thistle
    • ♦Application Procedures for Transline on Common Sunflower
    • ♦Application Procedures for Transline on Mesquite
    • ♦Application Procedures for Transline on Huisache
    • ♦Application Procedures for Transline on Retama
    • ♦Application Procedures for Transline on Kudzu
    • ♦Low Volume Foliar Spray for Transline on Mesquite and Huisache
    • ♦Effects of Transline Applications during Dry Weather
    • ♦Precautions using Transline
    • ♦Pathfinder II®
    • ♦General Characteristics of Pathfinder II
    • ♦Application Procedures for Pathfinder II
    • ♦Vista®
    • ♦General Characteristics of Vista
    • ♦Application Procedures for Vista or Dochia and Russian Thistle
    • ♦Application Procedures for Vista on Giant Ragweed (Bloodweed)
    • ♦Habitat®
    • ♦General Characteristics of Habitat
  • ►16. Licensing and Other Information
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Herbicide Licenses & Operator Responsibilities
    • ♦Other Helpful Information
  • ►17. Record Keeping
    • ♦Overview
• ►4. Native and Introduced Grasses, Wildflowers and Legumes
  • ►1. Overview
    • ♦Background
    • ♦Benefits
    • ♦General Nature of Information
  • ►2. Native and Introduced Grasses
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Establishment and Growth
    • ♦Maintenance
    • ♦Erosion Control and Soil Stabilization
    • ♦Wildlife Habitat
  • ►3. Obtaining Seeds
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Nursery Grown Seed
    • ♦Stockpiling Topsoil from Roadway Construction Sites
    • ♦The Outdated use of making “Flower Hay”
  • ►4. Wildflower Propagation
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦ Sun or Shade
    • ♦Soil Condition
    • ♦Moisture
    • ♦Germination Time
  • ►5. General Wildflower Planting Guidelines
    • ♦When to Plant
    • ♦Selecting Seeds
    • ♦Determining Planting Rate
    • ♦Pure Live Seed (PLS)
    • ♦Preparing the Soil
    • ♦Sowing the Seed
    • ♦Watering
  • ►6. Bluebonnets and Other Legumes
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Blooming Date
    • ♦Obtaining Seed
    • ♦Where to Plant
    • ♦Planting Time
    • ♦How to Plant
    • ♦Special Precautions
    • ♦Need for Rhizobium
    • ♦Important Points
  • ►7. Selecting Wildflowers by Natural Vegetative Region
    • ♦Natural Vegetative Regions
  • ►8. USDA Hardiness Zone Map
    • ♦USDA Hardiness Zone Map with Districts Outlined
• ►5. Pruning Guidelines
  • ►1. Reasons for Pruning
    • ♦Safety
    • ♦To Accommodate Utilities
    • ♦Health of the Vegetation
    • ♦Aesthetic Considerations
    • ♦Tree-Specific Reasons
  • ►2. Pruning Guidelines
    • ♦Introduction
    • ►Aesthetic Principles
  • ►3. Oak Wilt
    • ♦Background
    • ♦ Affected Area
    • ♦How it Spreads
    • ♦Symptoms
    • ♦What Can Be Done?
    • ♦More Information
  • ►4. Trees and Utility Lines
    • ♦Locating Utility Lines
    • ♦Texas Administrative Code
    • ♦When Trees Are Not Pruned on the Right of Way
    • ♦Examples of Severe, But Acceptable Tree Modifications by Utilities
    • ♦Examples of Unacceptable Tree Modifications
  • ►5. Texas Administrative Code for Utility Accommodation
    • ♦Texas Administrative Code §21.38
• ►6. Vegetation Management and Wildlife Habitat
  • ►1. Overview
    • ♦Background
    • ♦Threat of Habitat Degradation
    • ♦Extent of Habitat Degradation
    • ♦Significance of Roadsides
  • ►2. Preserving and Enhancing Habitat
    • ♦Strive for Diversity
    • ♦Mow Wisely
    • ♦Use Trees and Shrubs
    • ♦Nurture Seeds
    • ♦Encourage Wildflowers
    • ♦Roadsides and Endangered Species
  • ►3. Changing Attitudes
    • ♦Wildlife Density and Safety
    • ♦Public Perceptions of Unmowed Roadsides
    • ♦Sample News Release

Roadside Vegetation Management Manual

June 2009

Printer-friendly version (PDF)