Weeds Getting Out Of Control? 2 Of The Worst Weeds And How To Remove Them
One weed can quickly grow into many weeds and before you know it, they get out of control. There are some weeds that are particularly hard to get rid of. Not taking control over the weeds, however, you will quickly have a yard full of them making them even more difficult to remove. To get started doing this, below are two of the worst weeds and how to remove them.
Creeping Thistle
Creeping thistle is a perennial weed which means it will come back each year if it is not completely removed from your yard. This weed has lilac/pink flowers that you will start seeing in the late spring. Once you yard has this weed it will quickly take. To make matters worse, creeping thistle produces thousands of seeds that cause even more thistle to grow.
After the flowers fade you can still know that you have this weed. This is because the weed has spiny leaves that will prick you when you touch them.
To manage thistle, you can remove them by hand. This will work if you only have a few. You do have to be careful, however. Make sure you war thick, gardening gloves to protect yourself from the prickly leaves. You also must ensure all roots are removed or the thistle will take over again very quickly. If you see white fluffy seeds on the weed be careful that you do not spread these seeds as this is how the weed germinates.
The best way to remove thistle is to use an herbicide. This will not only kill the weed and seeds above ground but will also get below the soil's surface and kill the root system. You will likely have to reapply the herbicide a few times in order to kill all the thistle because of a massive root system.
Ground Ivy
Ground ivy is also a perennial weed that is aggressive and can quickly cover a large area of ground. The leaves are shaped much like coins and has scalloped edges. If you crush ground ivy it smells like mint. You will see purple flowers for a short time in late spring. Once the flowers fade, however, the weed is far from over.
It can be difficult to notice ground ivy in the beginning as it grows close to the ground and mixes in with the grass. Because of this, regular mowing will not remove this weed.
Removing ground ivy by hand is almost impossible and is not recommended. This is because the ground ivy has nodes that release a sticky substance that allows it to stick to the soil. If you were to pull up ground ivy you will see a long string of plants.
As with ground thistle use an herbicide to remove ground ivy. You also will likely have to apply it more than once to get remove the weed.
Contact a weed control service to help you if you continue to have problems with weeds.
