- Author: National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)
Acetic acid, also known as vinegar, is used in products for weed control. Many people choose it because it is natural. However, acetic acid can damage skin and eyes, especially at concentrations commonly found in weed killers.
What is the difference between acetic acid, vinegar, and horticultural vinegar?
You may know acetic acid best as vinegar. Vinegar is a solution of acetic acid in water. Acetic acid is a naturally occurring substance that is found in all living things. It is formed during fermentation. Acetic acid can also be made industrially. It is used in many industrial processes, including the manufacture of dyes, plastics, some drugs, and other industrial chemicals. It is also used in textile...
- Author: Belinda Messenger-Sikes
Nutsedges are aggressive and persistent weeds that commonly infest lawns, vegetable and flower gardens, and landscapes. These perennial sedges are a problem in lawns because they grow faster than turfgrasses and result in non-uniform turf. In landscape beds, nutsedge can grow up through mulches–even plastic mulches!
Yellow nutsedge grows throughout California while purple nutsedge can be found mostly in the south of the state and the Central Valley. Once established, nutsedge is difficult to control because it forms tubers in the soil that can live up to three years. The best approach is to prevent the weed's spread.
To help you identify and better manage this troublesome weed, UC IPM has updated the
- Author: Lauren Fordyce
Pampasgrass (Cortaderia selloana) is a common ornamental landscape plant that readily naturalizes throughout California's coastal areas and some interior regions. Historically, pampasgrass was planted for erosion control, but it has since escaped cultivation and spread along sandy, moist ditch banks throughout coastal regions of southern California. Pampagrass can also grow in the hot, dry climate of inland areas of California.
A similar-looking invasive grass, jubatagrass (Cortaderia jubata), is more widespread, aggressive, and is a major pest in coastal redwood forest areas. Jubatagrass thrives in cool, foggy environments and does not tolerate temperature extremes or...
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
After all the winter rains you may find yourself dealing with weeds and struggling to control them. The first step in successfully controlling weeds is knowing what weed you have. Well, you're in luck: the UC IPM website contains many useful resources to help you identify and manage weeds in the garden or landscape.
A great place to start is the Weed Gallery, which contains images and identification tips for more than 150 common weeds.
If you think you know the name of your weed, you can use the common or scientific name to view photos to confirm identification. Just use the “List of All Weeds” link from the main weed gallery page.
If...
- Author: Lauren Fordyce
Plentiful rainfall in California this spring created an ideal environment for many plants to thrive, including wildflowers, trees, and shrubs that desperately needed the water. However, other potentially harmful species also benefited from the unusually wet weather. Of particular concern are poisonous plants which are growing abundantly in parks and wildlands this year. These plants pose health risks to people, especially children, and pets. Being able to identify poisonous plants and understand available control options is critical for the safety of people who encounter them. While several poisonous plants grow in California, a few of the more common are detailed below along with information on how best to remove or manage...