Weeds
All during the long cold, dry winter there was not a hint of green, it looked like there was not going to be much of a weed problem to deal with this spring. But, after just a little rainfall and warm weather the weeds are starting to make their presence known. In less than a week many annual weeds have not only come up, but Henbit has already come up and flowered and many others are emerging. For every pound of weeds, you grow you lose a pound of grass. For this reason, you do not want to get caught behind the eight ball on your weed control. Proper weed identification is critical in herbicide selection and timing of application. There are three classes of weeds: annuals, perennials, and biennials.
All annual weeds come up from seed and complete their life cycle in one growing season. Most of the weeds we are seeing now are winter annuals; these germinate in the winter and then bloom in the spring. Some examples are Henbit, Wild Mustard, and Buttercup. Summer annuals germinate in spring or summer, develop into a mature plant, and produce a seed before frost. Some examples of summer annuals include Bitter Sneezeweed, Careless Weed (pigweed) and Woolly Croton (Dove weed). Annual weeds are the easiest to control; spraying early before flowering and seed development will provide the best weed control.
Perennial weeds can persist for many years. These plants will die back in the winter and regrowth will occur from the root stock the next growing season. Perennials have extensive root systems and are much harder to control than annual weeds. Some perennial weed examples include Silver Leaf Nightshade, Carolina Horse Nettle, Bull Nettle, and Western Ragweed. Brushy weed species also fall into the perennial weed category; some examples of these are Greenbriar, Mesquite, Locust and Winged Elm. While it is best to spray annual weeds while they are young, the optimal time to spray perennial weeds can vary with each weed.
Biennial weeds require two years to complete their life cycle. The first season’s growth results in a small rosette of leaves near the soil surface. During the second season of growth, the weed will elongate, flower, and make seeds. Then the entire plant will die, and new growth will result from the produced seeds. The most common example of a biennial weed is thistle. Spring and fall are the best time for thistle control. Apply herbicide during March-April and October-November when the plant is in the rosette stage and actively growing.
We have had a dry winter, but have recently caught a few small showers. Who knows what kind of moisture the rest of spring and summer will bring? You do not want weeds using the moisture and nutrients you could be growinggrasswith. Be diligent in your weed identification and scouting to ensure timely application of the proper herbicides for good weed control.