|
|
|
|
A weed is defined very simply as "a plant out of place". A nice stand of Centipedegrass growing in your shrub bed would be considered a weed. Likewise, a ground cover like ivy or liriope growing in the middle of your Centipede lawn would also be considered a weed. We are concerned mainly with plants which are considered weeds wherever they are found in a landscape situation. There are basically two categories of weeds; broadleaf and grassy. Broadleaf
weeds generally have wide, round, or oblong shaped leaves. Some common
examples would be dollarweed, dichondra, Florida Betony, clover, dandelion,
and chickweed (see photos).
Dollarweed
Dichondra Many common broadleaf weeds can be controlled selectively in lawns with herbicides, that is, a chemical can be applied to the lawn which will control the weed without damaging or killing the lawn itself. Care must be taken to apply the herbicide correctly or damage to the lawn can result.
Crabgrass
Doveweed Weed control itself can be separated into two general types: pre-emergence and post-emergence. As the names imply, pre-emergence means applying a herbicide before the weeds emerge, and post-emergence means applying a herbicide after the weeds have emerged. Our lawn program uses both pre-emergent and post emergent weed control methods. Natural weed control occurs when the turfgrass becomes well established and forms a tight thick turf which chokes and shades out many competing weeds. Weeds are always more of a problem in lawns which have thin, bare areas. Our lawn program promotes a healthy lawn which will help to naturally resist weeds from invading. Weeds can also become a nuisance in shrub beds and natural areas. The most basic way to control them in these areas is to maintain a three to four inch layer of mulch. Weeds cannot readily germinate and grow without sunlight. The mulch layer blocks the sunlight from the soil. Pine straw, Pine bark, Cypress mulch, and even plastics and landscape fabrics can be used as mulching materials. Additional benefits of mulching are moisture conservation and insulating the soil from extreme heat and cold. Mulch needs to added or replaced as it breaks down because as the layer gets thinner, it can no longer do it's job. The
few weeds that do break through the mulch can be pulled by hand or sprayed as
needed with a non-selective weed killer such as Round-up. Non-selective
herbicides are weed killers that will control most any green plants
that they contact, and are useful in shrub beds and natural areas. They
are safe to use up very close to shrubs and trees as long as you are careful not
to accidentally spray the leaves of any of any plants you don't want to
kill. These weed killers are absorbed only by leaves, not roots. A
spray colorant can be added to the mix to show exactly where the spray is going,
but is not necessary if you are careful and do your spraying on calm, windless
days. home Copyright © 2000 All-Green Lawns,
Inc. All rights reserved. |
