Weeds growing with abandon? In your vegetable and flower beds and in your lawn? Weeds, simply put, are plants growing where they aren’t wanted – those pesky things growing around the base of your roses or trees, in among your vegetable bed or creating a mosaic pattern in your lawn. Almost any plant – from grasses to trees to shrubs, under the right conditions, can be considered a weed. They come in a myriad of shapes, colors, sizes, and degrees of tenacity…some are pretty easy to control, while others, like bindweed (or what I consider the Kudzu vine of the west) seem to withstand and almost thrive on significant abuse. Common weeds (both grasses and broadleaf plants) that plague our gardens are annuals like bluegrass, crabgrass, mallows, purslane and spotted surge, and perennial types – bermudagrass, bindweed, dandelions, nutsedge and oxalis.
An overall weed management program involves preventive and removal methods. Preventing weeds from sprouting will make your life a whole lot simpler, especially given how prolific some types are in producing seeds. Here’s information on how to manage weeds in your yard or in your lawn without using harsh chemicals.