I have talked about these weeds in past columns. However, these last few years have been really good for these plants to develop and they have been reseeding prolifically.
Winter annuals are those that like to grow in cooler temperatures. They germinate in the fall and early spring, grow, flower seed (prolifically) and die out as the temperatures begin to get warm in the late spring.
Last weekend, we had a great soaking rain. We really needed this rain.
However, the rain brought with it germination of winter annual seeds. I noticed them around the edges of my perennial bed and in the vegetable garden. They tend to thrive in the garden where there is bare soil.
You can prevent a lot of work next spring by eliminating these new seedlings right now. Weeds laying on the soil surface will die in the sun.
I don’t know if you have ever noticed this, but when you hoe the weeds and it rains afterward, the weeds laying on the soil surface tend to survive and re-root. Therefore, make sure they are good and dead.
You can also cover the young seedlings with mulch but you have to make sure that you use enough mulch (at least 2 inches) to smother the plants.
Another option is to spray the newly emerging weeds with a product containing glyphosate (e.g. Roundup). But keep in mind that this herbicide will kill plants that it comes in contact with.
I use it around the edges of my perennial bed and sometimes in the bed itself when the weeds get ahead of me. However, I am very, very, very careful to watch surrounding plants.
I spray at dusk when the winds tend to be calmer. I also use a shield on the end of my sprayer to prevent potential drift.
I really can’t stress enough how important it is to get them now. They germinate now and sort of hide out for the winter. They won’t be killed by frost or freeze or snow.
Then, before you know it, and by the time you get energized and get out into the garden, they are already blooming and preparing to set seed. Stop the madness before it starts.
Winter annuals include chickweed, cressleaf groundsel, bittercress, purple deadnettle and henbit. Look them up and eliminate them in the garden now.
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