Allotment Vegetable Growing |
Saturday 21 November 2009 Allotment Diary |
Vegetable, Fruit & Herb Gardening |
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Gardening - 10 Most Hated Weeds By Michael RussellI thought his article gave an insight into the different weeds US gardeners have to cope with and would be of value to them as well as interesting to us. I was quite surprised to see clover considered a weed to kill out in lawns. Good nutrition (nitrogen availability) will remove the advantage that clover has from producing its own nitrogen, being a legume. In this article we're going to reveal the gardener's most hated weeds. You may or may not agree with this list. One thing most gardeners agree with is that weeds are annoying at best and downright nasty at worst. So what are the gardener's most hated weeds? Annual BluegrassAnnual bluegrass is at the bottom of the top ten list but it's still a tough nut to crack. It rears its ugly head in the fall and then really grows like a weed (no pun intended) in the spring. This stuff really crowds out your grass. You're going to need pre-emergent to keep this from taking over your lawn come springtime. Wild OnionComing in at number 9 is wild onion. This weed grows from bulbs that have an onion like odor. It usually grows in clumps and has round hollow leaves. Best way to get rid of this thing that grows in the spring is to hand dig it out to get to the bulbs. CrabgrassComing in at number 8 is crabgrass. This grass grows very fast and in very large clumps. It pops up in the spring and continues to grow all through the summer. You'll need a pre-emergent for this in the spring and then a product made for crabgrass control in the summer. RagweedIn the number 7 position is Ragweed. This is actually part of the sunflower family and can really make you sneeze plenty. This pretty much grows everywhere, anytime. Best to hand pull this one before it flowers and starts to seed. Spotted SpurgeAt number 6 is spotted spurge. This grows very low and has tiny leaves. In the summertime it produces small pink flowers and will spread all over your lawn. It is best to hand dig this with a trowel and use weed killer. PurslaneComing in at number 5 is purslane. This thing can take over a flower bed or lawn in no time flat. It grows low and has yellow flowers. Hand dig this one with a trowel and use broadleaf weed killer to keep it under control. Poison IvyAt number 4 we have poision ivy. This one is easy to spot by its three leaflets. It starts out red and turns green as it matures. Poison ivy is just about everywhere. Use something made for poision ivy. Don't hand pull. CloverIn the number 3 spot is clover. This comes in red and white and some people actually plant it on purpose. What it does is actually crowd out your grass and it attracts bees. A granular weed killer is best to get rid of clover. PlantainOne spot from the top is plaintain. Plaintain grows close to the ground and its thick oval shaped leaves can crowd out your grass in a hurry. You can hand pick this one but make sure you get it by the roots. A broadleaf weed killer will usually take care of this one. DandelionAnd finally, coming in at number 1 is dandelion. This is a perennial weed that is found just about everywhere. And while they may have been fun to pick as children they are no fun for gardeners. These things can literally overrun your garden or lawn in no time flat. Hand picking these is useless because the roots are so deep. Best way to get rid of these is with spot treating and a broadleaf weed killer. For the benefit of gardeners in the UK, I've written an article about our weeds and how to control them you might find useful. About the author: Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Gardening Back to More Allotment ArticlesGardening Help: 10 Great Gardening Tips and Ideas |
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