Prostrate problems?

FRANKLIN COUNTY — No aesculapian proposal here. Instead, I mention to nan low-growing (prostrate), sprawling maturation shape of immoderate of nan weeds plaguing our yards and gardens. Knowing what you’re up against will thief you put resources wherever they will do nan astir good. The pursuing are immoderate of nan much challenging ‘flat landers’ we battle.

Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea): This fleshy succulent thrives successful flower beds and gardens that person sporadic weeding efforts (like astir of ours). It has fat, rubbery leaves pinch reddish margins and reddish stems. Flowers are mini and yellowish but mostly inconspicuous. Purslane is simply a summertime yearly that reproduces from seed each year. Early herbicide applications miss this weed because it doesn’t commencement increasing until temperatures rise. Remove existing plants early and often to forestall seed production. Get free of nan plants arsenic stems tin guidelines if near connected moist soil. Seeds will proceed to germinate passim overmuch of nan summer. A pre-emergent for illustration trifluralin (Preen) tin beryllium very adjuvant but you must region each existing weeds and time off nan ungraded aboveground undisturbed pursuing application.

Spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculata): This has a akin quality to purslane but lacks nan fleshy leaves. Its flowers are pinkish to achromatic but likewise inconspicuous. Spotted spurge, sometimes called prostrate spurge, tends to look later than purslane and is overmuch easier to weed out. It is besides a summertime annual. It exudes milky sap erstwhile stems are broken. This sap tin beryllium irritating to tegument and eyes. Remove existent weeds and dispose of them to destruct arsenic galore seeds arsenic possible. Pre-emergent herbicide is again a large help.

Prostrate knotweed (Polygonum aviculare): More akin successful quality to spurge than to purslane, this weed tends to a much recumbent vining habit. Flowers are mini and white. You thin to spot this 1 much often successful driveways, sidewalk cracks, and successful weaker areas of lawn. Once again this is simply a summertime annual. Herbicide exertion mightiness beryllium personally gratifying, but it won’t do thing to power prostrate knotweed if it is not done earlier seed production. Depending connected nan location, glyphosate aliases 2, 4-D + dicamba will power plants that are already growing. Pre-emergent herbicides of nan ‘weed and feed’ type tin thief pinch power successful section settings.

Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis): You are astir apt each excessively acquainted pinch this weed. Descriptive adjectives are champion near unpublished. Bindweed, often called greeting glory, is simply a perennial truthful autumn herbicide exertion tin beryllium very beneficial. Glyphosate and dicamba tin connection immoderate of nan champion power but don’t expect elimination. Roots tin of producing caller shoots are recovered to depths of 14 feet. Fragments of roots and rhizomes arsenic short arsenic 2 inches tin shape caller plants. Fall is simply a awesome clip to deed its guidelines reserves hard. Pulling vines often and consistently will thief complete time. Every clip you region sprout maturation you deplete guidelines reserves. Keep astatine it and successful clip you will spot overmuch little bindweed.

Common mallow (Malva neglecta): This low-growing weed tin beryllium yearly aliases perennial depending connected conditions. You whitethorn cognize it arsenic food weed, marshmallow weed, aliases bellybutton weed. Its leaves are information pinch wavy margins. Flowers are pinkish to achromatic and characteristic seed pods are information and flattened. Juvenile weeds tin beryllium chemically aliases mechanically controlled pinch comparative ease. Mature plants person a heavy taproot and, for nan astir part, look capable to unrecorded done immoderate herbicides thrown astatine them. Herbicides containing dicamba connection your champion control, but it has capable ungraded activity that it should not beryllium utilized connected flower beds aliases gardens. Where you tin you’re amended disconnected utilizing a weapon aliases shovel to sever nan taproot of mature plants.

There are less-common creepers, immoderate of which see achromatic medic, puncture vine, and henbit. All are yearly weeds. Black medic is related to clover and alfalfa and is mostly a section nuisance. Henbit germinates successful nan autumn earlier herbicide treatments often grip this weed. Puncture vine is nan bane of motorcycle tires and bare feet. Its twin-horned seedpod gives it nan moniker goat head. Sandy soils are its preference. All efforts to destruct seeds request to beryllium taken. Herbicide containing Chlorosulfuron is champion astatine preventing germination successful roadways and different non-crop areas.