Spring is here, and already the weeds are sprouting
It’s spring, and that means it’s time to start weeding.
“Weeds are among the first green things we see in the garden,” said Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. Sprouting early in the year is one of the aggressive tactics that can help these troublesome plants overwhelm the plants we want to grow.
It also makes spring weeds easy for a gardener to spot against bare earth or mulch. “The sooner you can get a jump on weeds, the better,” Yiesla said.
Look for sprouts of creeping Charlie, common chickweed, deadnettle and shepherd’s purse, and tackle them while they’re still small.
Where do the weeds come from? Some sprout from roots that stay alive through the winter. Many others grow each spring from the thousands of weed seeds that can be found in every cup of garden soil. Weed plants often have many small seeds that are easily blown by the wind or washed onto soil by the rain.
Weeds are a problem not just because they’re unsightly, but because they compete with our trees, shrubs, vegetables and flowering plants for space, sunlight, water and the nutrients in the soil.
“Philosophically, any plant growing where we don’t want it may be considered a weed,” Yiesla said.
However, certain species of plants are most likely to be problematic in gardens and are commonly recognized as weeds. They often have long growing seasons, sprout easily in poor or disturbed soil, tolerate a wide range of conditions and reproduce prolifically.
Like other plants, weeds can be annual or perennial. Annual weeds, such as crabgrass and purslane, complete their entire life cycle in a single year — sprouting from a seed, growing into a plant, flowering, developing and releasing seeds, and then dying in fall. “It’s always easiest to remove annual weeds when they’re small, before they have a chance to set seeds in summer,” Yiesla said.
Perennial weeds, such as creeping Charlie, have roots that live from year to year, although the top growth dies back in the winter. Their roots give them a head start in spring. “You haven’t removed a perennial weed until you’ve dug up the roots,” Yiesla said. “If you just tear off the green leaves and stem, the roots can resprout.”
Some perennials, such as dandelions, have a long, deep taproot like a carrot. “You can use a trowel or a special dandelion weeder to lever that root out of the ground,” she said.
The best preventative to keep weed seeds from sprouting in the garden and around trees and shrubs is to keep the soil covered with a layer of mulch. “It will prevent sunlight from reaching the seeds, so they can’t sprout,” Yiesla said.
You’ll never entirely eliminate weeds, she said: “There are so many seeds in the soil, and new seeds are always blowing into your yard.” Still, getting an early start and weeding regularly through the year can manage the weed load. Beth Botts is a staff writer at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle (mortonarb.org). For tree and plant advice, contact the arboretum’s Plant Clinic (630-719-2424 or plantclinic@morton arb.org).