A weed is really an out of place plant. I often feel sorry for weeds. They are plants too. In fact you would probably be surprised at the plants you find classified as weeds! Clover and different grasses growing in meadows or parks seem acceptable to most people, but if those same plants decide to take up residence in a private garden or lawn it would be considered a terrible weed.
Although some weeds are pretty , most are aggressive growers with an ability to multiply rapidly. Many weeds can completely bury smaller garden plants, as well as draining soil nutrients from plants and lawns. The root systems of these aggressive plants can also choke up the roots of plants we want to grow.
There are two classifications of weeds: Grassy and Broadleaf. These are further broken down into groups like perennial, biennial, and winter and summer annuals.
Grassy weeds are, as they sound, like grass. However, they are unwanted grass, or grass that is growing in a different type of lawn. Some examples are annual bluegrass, barnyard grass, crabgrass, creeping bentgrass and foxtail. Broadleaf weeds may appear more to be what most people picture weed-like growth to be. Since they are broad, they are more easily distinguished. Some examples are yarrow, knotweed, chickweed, clover, ground ivy, thistle and the dandelion.
Once you understand what is growing in your lawn and decide that it is unwanted, you can treat it and/or control it. Weeds can actually be controlled by your lawn care maintenance. If you maintain a dense and vigorously
growing lawn, you are already combating the problem. Weeds can be a sign of underlying problems in the environment beneath. So by just killing them, you are simply putting on a band-aid, not solving the problem. For
example, some weeds grow in situations of compacted soil, such as knotweed. You can also control the growth by taking better care of the grass, rather than focus on the weeds. You can raise or lower the mowing height, change the frequency of mowing and changing the amount of time between irrigating. Also, you can increase or decrease application of fertilizer and aerify the soil. This will maintain better grass, thus keeping the growth dense and vigorous, which as discussed above, does not attract weeds.
In addition to culture practices, sometimes the assistance of chemicals is needed to control weed growth. In that case, there are several types of herbicides that can be used. Preemergence herbicides will affect seeds that are germinating. Since they are best used two to three weeks before the seeds start to grow, these work best to combat annual weeds. Postmergence herbicides are used, as their prefix implies, after the weeds have sprouted. Since they must be absorbed through the leaves, this types of herbicide works best with a spray. These can be used at any time, but are most effective when the weed is still young and growing. Selective postmergence herbicides are usually used to control annual, biennial and perennial broadleaf weeds, as they will not damage grass. But, they can kill trees, shrubs and flowers. These have to be used in proper conditions as well, with no rain in the forecast for two days to follow, air 60-80 degrees and no winds.
Finally, non-selective postmergence herbicides kill all types of weeds, and are best used to spot treat grassy weeds that are not affected by the selective herbicides.
So next time you see a Dandelion plant growing, don’t make a wish and blow the seeds toward the direction of a lawn fanatic- they may not get the perfectly manicured lawn they wished for!
Best Wishes and Happy Gadening
Margarete
