New research shows that 81% of Americans have a lawn or green space, and 79% say that a lawn is an important home feature.
Weeding is a crucial part of regular lawn and garden maintenance. Left unchecked, weeds can quickly go from being an inconvenience to a major thorn in your side.
If you want to get to the root of your garden weed problem, it pays to familiarize yourself with the most common weeds that exist today. Fortunately, we’ve done some of the groundwork for you.
Read on to learn all about the most common types of weeds.
Dandelion
Dandelion is one of the most common grass weeds. This perennial is easily recognizable by its rosettes of serrated leaves and yellow flower clusters.
Dandelions can take over any habitat, from your lawn to your borders and even your patio. Dandelions not only produce wind-borne seed but also reproduce through their root system.
Because of dandelions’ deep tap-root structure, removing mature weeds by hand must be done regularly.
You should pull up young dandelions. Grip them by the base and twist lightly to remove as much of the root as possible. Alternatively, use a hand trowel to dig them out.
Canada Thistle
Canada thistle is an invasive and prolific weed with a two-year lifecycle. It prefers moist soil and thrives on common garden fertilizers.
Because Canada thistle only spreads by seed, it’s essential to keep track of when mature plants are flowering and going to seed.
Locating and digging out all plants before the end of the flowering season can help to eradicate Canada thistle from your garden.
CrabgrassÂ
Crabgrass is another common weed that spreads by seed and nodes in the soil. It can grow to be over 2 feet tall if left unchecked.
Crabgrass thrives in hot, dry conditions and poor soil. If your lawn is undernourished or thin, crabgrass will quickly begin to gill up the gaps.
We don’t recommend using weedkillers on crabgrass. Instead, keep your lawn thick, healthy, and well mown.
Heartland Turf & Landscape offers complete lawn care and weed control services to prevent crabgrass and other yard weeds from becoming a problem.
Pigweed
Pigweed is one of the most problematic annual weeds for gardeners.
These common garden weeds flourish in hot temperatures, can withstand drought, respond well to available nutrients, and have evolved to seek light through rapid stem elongation.
They compete aggressively with other plants and vegetables and produce thousands of seeds per plant.
You should work to remove these plants before they flower, using both a localized weedkiller and good weeding practices.
Your Guide to Common Weeds
These are but some of the many common yard weeds that gardeners have to deal with on a daily basis. By knowing which common weeds to look out for, you’ll be able to address the problem fast and keep your garden looking at its best.
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