Defending lawns against winter weeds—identifying and controlling them
It would be nice to think that after struggling with weeds all summer, the fall and winter would provide a well-deserved break from the concerns of weed control. However, winter weeds begin their life cycle in the late summer through the early fall (when daytime temperatures are in the 70s), grow during the winter and die in the late spring or early summer, typically when temperatures exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit. As weather conditions become favorable for winter weeds, the growth of warm-season turfgrasses begins to slow as they approach dormancy.
Winter annual weeds such as annual bluegrass, henbit, common chickweed and speedwell and winter perennials such as wild garlic and wild onion are unsightly and can be problematic for desired turfgrasses. These weeds compete for sunlight, water and nutrients that can slow green-up of warm-season turfgrasses during spring transition. Likewise, as dense mats of these weeds die in the spring, openings in the turf canopy allow summer weed species an opportunity to invade the turf.
Read the entire story from Grounds Maintenance, our sister web site.
