Weed Need to Talk

By on Jul 25, 2019 in Weeds |

Weed need to talk. Those roadside weeds might look pretty from your air conditioned car at 70 mph but they have a dark side up close and personal. I was out running the other evening and noticed the finches playing and feasting in a field of wild teasel Dipsacus sylvestris. Many of those blooming weeds we see coloring our roadsides in late July have 3 common characteristics. 1) They are not native and were introduced years ago (usually from Europe). 2) They produce copious amounts of seed (thus the abundance) and 3) They have characteristics that crowd out other native species. Wild teasel or Dipsacus sylvestris or Dipsacus fullonum (which looks and sounds like a caption you would see below Wile Coyote in a Road Runner episode) has light lavender florets that bloom their way up the cone. The plant was introduced from Europe in the 1700s and can reach a height well over my head. If you...

Take me to your “weeder”

By on Jul 17, 2015 in Weeds |

Yikes! Dodder is a parasitic annual weed that infests crops and ornamental plants? Alien in appearance this crazy “plant” or weed is a distant relative of Morning Glories. Very limitedin it’s capability for photosynthesis this weed obtains nearly all its energy from the host plant. Seedlings in the soil need to quickly find a host plant and latch on or they die. Take me to your “weeder”! Once a host is found they latch on creating a dense mat of intertwining colorful stems literally choking the life out of the host plant. Hand removal or removal of the host plant, identification and clean up are the keys to prevent recurrence.

You can run but you can’t hide

By on Oct 18, 2013 in Weeds |

Poison Ivy is one of those weeds that can run but it can’t hide in the fall. Poison Ivy is just too colorful with orange, yellow and red pigments in its foliage all on the same plant. Its aerial roots along the stem grip the bark of trees and send it skyward putting it in plain sight, especially in fall when it becomes a colorful character. Take me to your “weeder”……fall is a good time for control. Applied herbicides are translocated effectively into the root system as the plant shuts down for winter like the trees. Carefully follow the main stem down to the base and make a clean cut. Wearing protective clothing like rubber gloves simply brush some brush killer straight onto the fresh cut at the base. The vine cut off from the root system will die on the tree. I do not recommend trying to pull it off the tree. “Weeding” by example. The stump in...

Take me to your “Weeder”

By on Sep 28, 2012 in Weeds |

Fall is a fantastic time to control weeds in your lawn. If you struggle with weeds like dandelions in spring, now is the time to spot spray the weeds in your lawn. Pick a sunny day where we’re not going to get rain for 24 hours and take me to your “weeder”. Weeds are vulnerable in fall because they are storing carbohydrates in their root system and so are more susceptible to herbicide applications. Applying controls now does 3 things. 1) Effectively “translocates” the kill into the roots, not just the top, as the weed moves food reserves and the herbicide into the roots. 2) Controls winter annual weeds so they are not a blooming seeding pest next spring. 3) Reduces the number of broadleaf weeds you would have to battle next spring giving the lawn a competitive edge.

When it comes to weeds you’ve got pull

By on Apr 27, 2012 in Weeds |

Went for a run yesterday down the Kent Trail training for the River Bank run coming up in a few weeks. I’ve enjoyed the Trillium and Trout lilies as well as the May apple on my runs the past few weeks. Running along you also can’t help but notice masses of tall plants in flower. These green plants with scalloped foliage have small white flowers at the top. They come in waves and grow quickly in some cases seeming to swallow up the native wildflowers. Yes the culprit is the dreaded Garlic Mustard. When it comes to weeds you’ve got pull….and now is time to be pulling. Each plant produces thousands of seeds so if the plant is invading your landscape now is the time to pull before they go to seed. Garlic mustard is ahead of schedule like many other plants due to the unusually warm March weather. This invasive herb comes in waves and will dominate and choke out...