Preliminary Results on New Weed-Prevention Schedule

Last year I learned more about the timing I needed to follow on applying corn gluten to my lawn to prevent weeds.  So last fall I spread the gluten earlier, in August rather than in October/November; then this spring put it out earlier, in March.  In previous years, my back yard in particular had lots of chickweed and henbit.  This year, there was practically no chickweed, and much less henbit.  It was good to see such positive results from simply tweaking the time at  which I applied the corn gluten.

Time to Think of Weed Prevention

Things are beginning to green up, so I bought a bag of corn gluten today, which I plan to apply to the lawn over the weekend.  I want to prevent weeds and crab grass as much as possible this year with this non-toxic method. 

War on Weeds: Sandburs

In the late summer and into early fall, one of the things my dog and I encounter on our walks is sandburs: a nasty weed with prickly burs that stick in a dog's fur, and between the pads of his feet.  There are a few yards in the neighborhood that are infested with sandburs along the edges of the sidewalk.  Theo gets them in his feet and stuck in the fluffy fur of his legs.

After we get back home, I have to carefully work the burs out of his hair.  If I don't get them all, he pulls them out and drops them on the floor all over the house, or drops them outside in our yard, where they will try to populate my yard with the weeds.

War on Weeds: Climbing Milkweed Vine

Recently I noticed a vine growing up through one of my rose of Sharon bushes.  It has heart-shaped leaves like those of a morning glory.  It wasn't even noticeable until it grew over the top of the rose of Sharon, where it was so thick it nearly smothered my bush.

I've been pulling sections of the vine off, but yesterday I noticed that it was growing seed pods.  The pods are different--a tapered shape about 4 inches long. When I opened one, the seeds had white tails that reminded me of milkweed.  They also helped me identify the plant.

Weed Prevention Time

Today I applied corn gluten to my yard.  Corn gluten serves as a slow release high-nitrogen fertilizer, which is great for feeding your lawn; plus it prevents the germination of seeds, which keeps weeds from getting established.  It doesn't kill anything that's already growing, just stops seedlings from establishing roots.  Don't apply corn gluten to your lawn if you plan to overseed in the next couple of months.

War on Weeds: Spotted Spurge

Spurge

Spotted spurge is a low-growing summer annual weed with prostrate stems that radiate outward from the center, and small, oval leaves that have a small reddish spot. It can grow to be as much as two feet across. It grows very quickly in warm temperatures, and may only take about five weeks from germination to flower and produce seeds. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, and one plant can produce several thousand seeds. Because the seeds are sticky when wet, they can cling to animals' feet, birds' feathers, or shoes, and be spread widely. You can end up with two or three generations of spurge over the course of the summer.

War on Weeds: Bindweed

Bindweed, like the dandelion, is a deceptively pretty plant. The leaves are shaped like arrowheads, and are larger near the base than near the ends of the stems. Flowers are trumpet shaped, and are white or pink in color.

War on Weeds: Chickweed

Chickweed

 

Chickweed is a low-growing, somewhat succulent winter annual of Eurasian origins. It thrives in cool, moist conditions. Chickweed forms a dense mat of stems that creep along the ground, and may root at the nodes of the stems, which makes it harder to remove.  It has a shallow, fibrous root system and tiny white flowers. It invades lawns and gardens and can be a reservoir for insect pests and plant viruses.  The thick mats can crowd out the plants you want.

War on Weeds: Prickly Lettuce

Prickly lettuce (large plant in center)

Prickly lettuce is an annual or biennial weed with prickly leaves. When it is cut or broken, it emits a milky sap. It is found throughout the US, though it originally came from the Mediterranean area. Other names for it are horse thistle, milk thistle, and wild lettuce. The leaves have prickles along the leaf margins and along the midvein on the lower leaf surface. It can reach up to six feet in height.

War on Weeds: Henbit

Henbit

Henbit is an annual cool-season weed.  It's the weed that around here in the spring turns lawns purple with their tiny flowers. Its nectar and pollen are useful to bees.

Henbit prefers cool, moist soil, so it flourishes in the spring.  It usually grows to about 6 inches tall. Its seeds germinate in the fall, live through the winter, and then grow and flower in the spring.  As temperatures start to rise, it dies, leaves lots of seeds for fall.  Henbit spreads primarily by seed, though the stems can root where they touch the soil.

Corn Gluten

Grape hyacinths

Last week I took another step in the on-going battle with weeds in my lawn.  I avoid using most of the weed-killer products available, and prefer products that are safe to use around my dog (and all of the non-domesticated visitors to my garden).  Twice every year I apply corn gluten to my lawn.  It serves as an organic fertilizer, plus it helps to suppress germinating seeds.  It is suggested to apply it at about the time forsythia is just starting to bloom in your area, and again in the early fall.  It does not kill any weeds already present, just helps keep down any further generations, plus encourages a nice, thick lawn of grass, which helps smother weeds as well.