4 Things to Know About Weed Life Cycles
Weeds can be described as plants that grow where they aren’t wanted. They are considered undesirable because they tend to disrupt the uniformity of turf as well as compete with desirable grass for light, moisture, and nutrients. They can also pose harm to people by causing skin irritation, attracting bees as well as poisoning in the event of ingestion.
Knowing these things can help develop an effective weed management program.
- Weeds can be grouped into one of three cycles: annual, biennial and perennial, depending on frequency of growth in a year.
- Annual weeds usually complete their life cycles within a period of one year. The annual weeds that germinate in spring and die in the fall are known as summer annuals while those that germinate in the fall and die in the spring are called winter annuals. Common chickweed and prostate knotweed are good examples of annual weeds.
- Biennial weeds complete their life cycles in two growing seasons. Vegetative growth occurs during the first growing season while flowering and setting seed occur during the second season. Examples include wild carrot and yellow rocket.
- Perennial weeds tend to live for at least three years and vegetative growth is produced from growing points at or below the surface of the soil. The aboveground stems as well as leaves often die at the end of growing seasons and new plants can be grown from seeds. Examples include dandelion and orchard grass.
Knowing these things and developing and implementing a program to manage weeds will help you to maintain the beauty and health of your turf. For all of your turf questions, contact the pros at Modern Turf today!
