Steps
Identifying Grassy Weeds
- Study your weeds. The common characteristics of grass-like weeds are that they lack flowers and woody stems. The leaves are often narrow and ribbon-like, with some tightly rolled.
- Look for the grassy annual plant called Crabgrass. It is commonly mistaken for grass until it reaches its mature height of 18 to 20 inches tall. The seeds spread out like fingers in a soil, so it may grow in strips or kill of grass and replace it slowly.
- Pull crabgrass out by hand and mulch the soil in garden beds.
- Treat with post-emergence herbicide in the lawn.[1]
- Look for Bermuda grass. They are characterized by creeping stems and long, green sprigs on brown stems. It spreads underground, by seed and stem.
- Dig out the Bermuda grass stems wherever they grow. Mulch areas that are prone to this weed.
- Apply acetic acid to the stems regularly if you can’t dig out the weed.
- Keep an eye out for Quack grass. The stems are wheat-like and spikey. They have small flowers and like areas with both sun and shade. They grow to three feet tall in some areas.
- Dig individual plants out by hand. They can be several feet wide. Try to remove any roots that you see.
- Mulch to prevent shoots from coming up in garden beds.[2]
Identifying Broadleaf Weeds
- Pay attention to flower production in broadleaf weeds. They are herbaceous, produce flowers and have broad leaves. Many leaves have netted veins.
- Start with the dandelion. This yellow flowering weed spreads its seeds when it turns to a white puff. The young leaves are used for green salads.
- To remove dandelion, get a hold of them before they turn to seeds and blow away.
- Dig out the entire taproot. Spread corn gluten across the lawn or bed in early spring to suppress the seedlings.[3]
- Look for Lamb’s Quarter. This annual broadleaf plant flowers between June and October. The leaves are very wide with detailed veining and jagged edges.
- The underside of the leaf is gray.
- Lamb’s Quarters are also called “wild spinach” and are very nutritious. Wash them and sauté them in olive oil while they are wet. Season as desired.[4]
- To remove them, pull the plant out by the root whenever they appear. Mulch the area where they appear heavily.
- Look for weeds that vine up your plants. These are often the broadleaf perennials called Bindweed. They produce pale pink and white flowers.
- Chop down growing plants to avoid them strangling the flowers. Their root can be 30 feet from the mother vine.
- Mulch beds and spot treat with post-emergence herbicide.[5]
- Look for a plant covering the ground. It may be the edible weed purslane. The leaves are longer than they are wide and they live on low flesh colored stems.
- Pull the weed out by hand. Apply herbicide and/or mulch the area. Stem fragments and seeds can spread the weed.
- Purslane loves warm weather and rich soil.
- Eat the stems and the leaves. They are vitamin-rich and good in fresh salads. They can also be used to replace spinach in recipes.[6]
- Find dock plants. These very large broadleaf perennials produce wavy, chard-like leaves. They can grow four feet tall and two feet wide.
- To remove them, dig them up and treat the area with herbicide.
- A single plant can produce 40,000 seeds that can wait years before sprouting.
- Mulch will work well to keep seeds from germinating.[7]
- Keep in mind that broadleaf weeds are the most common types found in the United States. Use the Weed Identification tool at http://ift.tt/1tIZv9c to find your weed and learn how to treat it. Select your state and search according to its characteristics.
Identifying Woody Weeds
- Decide whether your weeds are shrub-like. Small or tall shrubs are known as woody weeds. They have woody stems and grow bushy over the years.
- Look for poison ivy. This weed features three leaf sets on the woody stem and is found throughout the US. It produces small yellow or white flowers in May or June.
- The plant is toxic and should be removed around humans to avoid damage to the skin. Wear gloves and long-sleeved clothing while you work.
- To remove this weed cut the plant at the base and leave it to dry out.
- Toss the dried vines into the trash. Do not use them in fire or compost.
- Mulch the area where the ivy grew with cardboard.[8]
- Look for the beautiful white morning glory flower. This flowering vine can quickly become invasive in warm climates. They are grown in flower beds, but should be separated from other flowers by hard spaces so that they don’t take over.
- Pull the morning glories or remove them with a sharp hoe.
- Kill plants with organic herbicide that contains clove oil.[9]
Tips
- Consider eating dandelion, purslane, bamboo, kudzu, Lamb’s Quarter, Japanese Knotweed, watercress and red clover if you find them in your garden or in the wild.
- Mulch your soil with a covering of leaves, straw or store-bought mulch at least two-inches thick. This can kill many weeds by depriving them of the light them need to grow. Layer newspaper over soil and then apply mulch for an extra layer of protection.[10]
Things You'll Need
- Garden shears
- Garden gloves
- Long-sleeved shirt
- Corn gluten
- Hoe
- Trash bags
- Post-emergence herbicide
- Newspapers
- Spade
from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/1tIZthv
