Controlling weeds can be challenging to landscape professionals or home gardeners since landscapes often include a mix of turfgrass, annual plants, herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and trees.
The newly revised publication Pest Notes: Weed Management in Landscapes by Area IPM Advisor Cheryl Wilen, presents an integrated approach to weed management to help ensure weed control efforts are effective, environmentally-sound and economical. This science-based publication includes information on methods such as pre-planting considerations, the importance of weed identification, nonchemical practices such as using mulches and barriers, weed management...
- Author: John A Roncoroni
[From the Spring issue of the UC IPM Retail Nursery & Garden Center News]
“I hate crabgrass!” is a common lament I've heard from residents during my 35 years as a UCCE Weed Science Farm Advisor. However, four out of five times, the weed people are actually referring to is not crabgrass, but bermudagrass or dallisgrass. So why does knowing the name of the weed matter? It doesn't—unless you are trying to control it!
Crabgrass
There are two annual weed species of crabgrass: large crabgrass and smooth crabgrass. Large crabgrass, sometimes...
/span>- Author: Anne Schellman
- Contributor: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
People in urban and suburban areas often use the term “invasive” to describe plants or weeds that appear to take over a garden or landscape. However, true invasive plants are weeds that infest ecosystems, rangelands, and pasture—places common garden weeds don't thrive.
Invasive plants can reduce native plant and animal diversity, threaten endangered species habitat, and increase wildfire and flood danger. Most invasive plants were introduced as ornamentals from the retail nursery industry, or for the purposes of soil stabilization, animal forage, human food, fiber, or medicinal plants. Some may still be found for sale at retail nursery and garden centers, including the following:
Nutgrass, also called nutsedge, could easily be one of the top 5 nuisance weeds gardeners deal with in the garden and landscape. While we don't know that for sure, we do know that nutsedge is a very challenging weed to control.
Yellow and purple nutsedge are the two species most often found in California. Yellow nutsedge grows throughout the state, while purple nutsedge is found mostly in southern California.
Nutsedge is difficult to control because the plants form small underground tubers and rhizomes. Most of these tubers are found in the top six inches of the soil but can also be found even deeper. Removing the tubers by hand is the best way to remove small plants but may require continued monitoring and hand...
In mid-March, many people use clover-themed decorations in preparation for St. Patrick's Day. Many gardens and landscaped areas are “decorated” with clovers too, especially with recent rains and mild temperatures in much of California. For some people, clovers are considered weeds, but others enjoy the green color they bring!
Clovers begin to germinate in the fall and continue throughout winter and early spring. Their bright green leaves can blemish the look of lawns and may be unsightly when found in ornamental plantings.
Clovers growing in lawns or landscapes are often a sign of low soil nitrogen, so changing fertilization can help prevent their growth. Read the UC IPM publication