Weedy Weather
By Andrea Peck
Hot, cold, drizzle. Hot, wind, rain! Make up your mind, weather! This year has been the most schizophrenic of years. One minute it is apocalyptically warm, my face purple-red from sun irritation. Rapid aging is imminent. The next we are getting monsoon-style rains that partner with gale force winds. Make no mistake about it, this year we have Weather.
And there's one thing that's lovin' it: my weeds.
By loose definition, a weed is any plant that you pretend does not exist in your yard. It is an uninvited intruder that sucks the very marrow out of your soil, stealing nutrients, water, soil and space. Often the term is associated with a certain strength, an incalcitrant insistence that it reside where you least want it to. Weeds are plants on the spectrum. They are prone towards oppositional defiance disorder. They proliferate assiduously (one small plant can have 1000 seeds). Their large families appear here, there and everywhere. They are formidable, tolerating your conditions with aplomb. You have to admire their pluck.
But, how do we handle them? I thought I was doing the right thing during the summer by loading on the mulch, but these new weeds are undeterred. They are thriving.
The first step in weed reduction, (I say reduction, because you are unlikely to eliminate all weeds) is to identify your enemy. One way to do this accurately is to utilize the UCIPM Weed Photo Gallery:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/weeds_intro.html
This link allows you to identify your plant with a series of categorized photos and descriptions.
After you identify the offending weed, you can glean information about its lifecycle and habitat. From there you can decide on a course of action. Knowing whether your weed is annual or perennial makes a difference. For example, you may have a particular nuisance weed that you are ready to waste a whole pound of herbicide on. But, if you find out that this weed is at the end of its lifecycle you might save the effort and allow it to run its course.
Most weeds, no matter the sort, are best plucked early on. Whatever your method, strike early - ignoring the problem and allowing the weed to grow into a large, robust and fertile plant is a mistake. Certainly letting it get to the point of flowering is a recipe for disaster.
Mowing, hand picking, hoeing, tilling, mulch and landscape fabrics fall under this blanket term of mechanical methods, though mulch and landscape fabrics are preventatives also. We all know that mulch is a must, but did you realize that the particle size of your mulch is important? Choose mulch that is medium sized. Large blocky wood chunks allow water and light through. The larger spaces also accommodate those wind-blown seeds, allowing them to settle in and sprout. Mulch that is made from material that is overly small provides a nice bed for seed germination. One problem is that perennial weeds are often able to overtake the suppressing power of mulch. Be aware that some varieties of mulch deplete soil of nitrogen temporarily.
Mowing is a good solution for broad leaf plants and annual weeds. Perennials often take several years of mowing before the problem is controlled. Tilling and hoeing are suitable methods, but care must be taken with neighboring plants that you want to keep – over tilling can damage roots which slows plant growth or destroys the plant.
Black plastic is a fine solution for annual plants, but perennials may suffer because the plastic does not allow for adequate air and water circulation. Weed cloth adds an extra layer of protection underneath your mulch. The thickness prevents light penetration and is usually made from material that resists weeds underneath the surface.
Chemical methods or herbicides, are used to control, suppress or kill weeds by interrupting plant growth. Before using an herbicide, it is important to read and understand the label and follow directions carefully. Only recommended amounts should be used. Herbicides should not be used on plants that are not included on the label.
As a last note, there are many more methods that work towards reducing weeds in your garden. But when the weather is tumultuous, the chance of weed growth rises exponentially. Suddenly you find yourself unable to control what is watered and what is not. Weed seeds get pulled into the atmosphere, fly for miles and somehow land in your own Garden of Eden. Ah, the circle of life.
Certainly, you cannot control Mother Nature and this year she travels via the Pineapple Express, so batten down your hatches and watch for strange growth in spring.