Panel data provided by Madison's Canadian Lumber Reporter.

Controlling those Unwanted Plants

By Jos Van Hage

Everything has certainly been growing with the recent weather we have been experiencing and so have the weeds. I had a hard time keeping up on the weeding because of all the rain we had but have finally caught up in the past couple of days. With warm dry temperatures now is a good time to run a hoe through the vegetable, flowerbeds, and hoe the weeds.

You want to kill weeds early while they are still young before they go into seed, which will create an even larger problem. In addition, younger weeds do not have a strong root system so are easier to remove and will dry out quickly. Hoeing or rototilling the garden soil every couple of weeks will also aerate the soil, which is good for plants. If you have a large space in the yard where there are only weeds and no desired plants growing, or a driveway or patio, then a non-selective herbicide can be used safely.

Unwanted weeds in the lawn need to be removed in a different manner. A few dandelions can be removed manually by pulling the entire root out using an ‘American Weeder’ specially designed for this purpose (it works well). If there are a lot of weeds then a chemical solution may have to be used. Using a herbicide containing 2,4-D, Mecoprop, and Dicamba can kill broadleaf weeds such as dandelion, clover, plantain, etc. Of course when using any chemical caution must be used and all instructions that come with the package should be read before using. If there are any questions ask someone who knows about the product, first, before using it. Always go by recommended concentration; do not use less or more.

Weeds should be actively growing in order for them to take up the chemical. When using Weed n Feed the soil should be moist before applying it so water the soil a couple of days before application. For best results there should be 24 hours of dry weather after the chemical has been applied. After it has been applied, keep all persons and pets off the area for the recommend period of time. If temperatures exceed 25 Celsius, do not apply chemicals as they could burn the desired plants. Apply herbicides on a calm day, as you do not want the wind to drift spray to other plants. When using a granular chemical keep the spreader as close to the lawns surface as possible. You want to keep the chemical away from trees and shrubs so stay at least 2-3 feet away from the drip line (end of root system) to avoid having the chemical enter the trees system. In addition, when using a granular the weed leaves should be slightly damp so that the chemical will adhere to them.

If you have a recently planted lawn then chemicals should not be used until after the third mowing. On new sod, chemicals can not be used until the sod’s roots are well established.

The best way to keep weeds out of the lawn is to have a healthy well maintained lawn. A lawn that is fertilized, watered and mowed makes it hard for weeds to become established.

-jos

Jos Van Hage owns three Art Knapp's Garden Centres in Prince George
-Hart Highway
-Highway 97 South at the Old Cariboo Highway
-Highway 16 West across from the Bon Voyage Cent
Previous Story - Next Story



Return to Home