Pull those weeds before they drop their seeds

Olivia McClure

Gardening isn’t always about the pretty stuff. And today we need to discuss a less-than-glamourous topic: weeds in landscape beds.

With summer dragging on, you may have had to limit the time you spend working outside in the heat. Perhaps you decided to let a few things go, like pulling weeds. But several weed species likely enjoyed your absence and grew vigorously behind your back.

Now that temperatures are finally beginning to cool and many weeds are close to reaching maturity, it’s time to catch up on the not-so-fun but crucial gardening task of weeding.

While it’s true that warm-season weeds will die back after our first freeze, removing them rather than leaving them in the landscape is important. Once weeds mature, their seeds will drop to the ground, where they’ll wait for warmer weather to germinate.

So unless you want to contend with large, unruly weed populations next spring and summer, start pulling these unwanted plants now. Bag them and throw them away if possible. Try not to leave any weeds on the ground, and don’t toss them into your compost pile either — you’ll only be giving the seeds a cozy spot to overwinter, allowing them to remain viable.

You may be wondering why these weeds can’t simply be sprayed with a post-emergence herbicide. If you follow the label instructions and spray correctly, the weeds themselves will die. But any mature seeds on the weeds could still be viable the following year if the plants are left behind. Again, removing weeds completely by hand pulling is your best bet. (And, as a side note, this is why we always recommend spraying weeds earlier on while they are young and immature.)

One of the most notorious seed-spreading weeds we see this time of year is chamberbitter. It is easy to spot, resembling mimosa tree leaves. Next time you see a chamberbitter plant, take a look underneath its leaves. You’ll notice numerous seed capsules lining the spines of the leaves. The capsules explode once they’ve dried, each releasing between three and five seeds.

Another common weed is Virginia buttonweed. You’ll know this weed by its small white flowers and dense mat of spreading foliage. Like chamberbitter, Virginia buttonweed leaves cover their seed capsules, each of which contains two seeds.

Chamberbitter and Virginia buttonweed can crop up almost anywhere: in landscape beds and in lawns, in full sun and in shady areas. If you notice these weeds in your lawn, try to pull up as much as you can before running a mower over them. The blades will only scatter the seeds, encouraging a bigger weed problem that will encroach on your grass down the road.

Other ill-tempered suspects to look out for include goosegrass, mulberry weed, spurge and barnyardgrass.

Pulling mature weeds now will pay off when spring arrives next year. By breaking the seed drop cycle, you can reduce the soil seed bank and the amount of weeding you have to do in the future.