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Many times it’s easy to identify a weed (plant) type to be able to select a product to safely control it. Other times it’s not that simple. But not all products work on all plants, so it’s important.
Broadleaf weeds, for example, are plants that are in the dicotyledon group of flowering plants (that’s Horticulture 101). Also known as dicots, the easiest way to identify these plants is that they have two embryonic leaves. Simply put, when the small plants appear after they germinate, there are two “true” leaves. Many of our landscape plants are dicots - or broadleaf type plants, whether desirable or not. Dandelions, clover, henbit, and black medic are dicots, as well as petunias, vinca, and coleus. The way broadleaf weed killers work is that the herbicide mimics a naturally occurring plant chemical that leads to uncontrolled growth - it makes the plant grow itself to death. That’s not something we want for our petunias!
Grassy plant types are in the monocotyledon plant group. Commonly referred to as monocots, these are flowering plants whose seeds typically contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. Basically, grassy plants.
By knowing which type of plant you are wanting to target, it’s really simple to apply the correct product to do the job. The treatments ‘select’ the type of plants they are formulated to control. A selective herbicide kills certain plants but not others. Herbicides labeled for control of weeds in lawns, for example, will kill broadleaf weeds like dandelions and thistles, but will not kill grasses. Other herbicides are specifically formulated to kill grassy weeds and so would not be appropriate to use in a lawn area. Here are a few of the weeds we may need to control during the summer months and the best control for them.
Grassy weeds:
Crabgrass is easily controlled with a pre-emergent herbicide which kills the roots of newly germinated seedlings. ferti-lome Weed-Out with Crabgrass Killer will easily kill newly germinated seedlings in the lawn.
Nutgrass is unique in that it looks like a grass, but is actually a sedge which takes ferti-lome Weed-Out Nutsedge Control to selectively remove it from turf areas. Image Ready-to-Spray will control nutgrass but should not be used on fescue lawns. But it’s safe on warm season turf and select ornamentals, and its hose end applicator makes it easy to apply. Hi-Yield Triclopyr Ester is unique in that it kills many broadleaf weeds as well as suppresses bermuda grass in cool season lawns. It’s a great tool to stay ahead of bermuda as it creeps into your fescue.
Summer broadleaf weeds:
Broadleaf weeds in the lawn such as clover, black medic, and dandelions are all controlled with ferti-lome Weed-Out with Crabgrass Killer because of its blend of herbicides. It’s not intended for use in vegetable, landscape or bedding areas, but it safely removes most weeds in turf areas.
If you are not sure what you are dealing with in the way of weeds, just bring a sample into the store, and we’ll get you the correct product to safely and effectively control the weed you want to control.
Your friend in the garden,
Marty Johnson
Owner - Johnson's Garden Centers
P.S. At this writing, I'm nearing Wyoming on the Tour Divide. We're racing to raise funds for HumanKind and those in our community who are facing homelessness. If you donate at our registers in June, we'll double your donation. Follow me at https://trackleaders.com/tourdivide24.
Many times it’s easy to identify a weed (plant) type to be able to select a product to safely control it. Other times it’s not that simple. But not all products work on all plants, so it’s important.
Broadleaf weeds, for example, are plants that are in the dicotyledon group of flowering plants (that’s Horticulture 101). Also known as dicots, the easiest way to identify these plants is that they have two embryonic leaves. Simply put, when the small plants appear after they germinate, there are two “true” leaves. Many of our landscape plants are dicots - or broadleaf type plants, whether desirable or not. Dandelions, clover, henbit, and black medic are dicots, as well as petunias, vinca, and coleus. The way broadleaf weed killers work is that the herbicide mimics a naturally occurring plant chemical that leads to uncontrolled growth - it makes the plant grow itself to death. That’s not something we want for our petunias!
Grassy plant types are in the monocotyledon plant group. Commonly referred to as monocots, these are flowering plants whose seeds typically contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. Basically, grassy plants.
By knowing which type of plant you are wanting to target, it’s really simple to apply the correct product to do the job. The treatments ‘select’ the type of plants they are formulated to control. A selective herbicide kills certain plants but not others. Herbicides labeled for control of weeds in lawns, for example, will kill broadleaf weeds like dandelions and thistles, but will not kill grasses. Other herbicides are specifically formulated to kill grassy weeds and so would not be appropriate to use in a lawn area. Here are a few of the weeds we may need to control during the summer months and the best control for them.
Grassy weeds:
Crabgrass is easily controlled with a pre-emergent herbicide which kills the roots of newly germinated seedlings. ferti-lome Weed-Out with Crabgrass Killer will easily kill newly germinated seedlings in the lawn.
Nutgrass is unique in that it looks like a grass, but is actually a sedge which takes ferti-lome Weed-Out Nutsedge Control to selectively remove it from turf areas. Image Ready-to-Spray will control nutgrass but should not be used on fescue lawns. But it’s safe on warm season turf and select ornamentals, and its hose end applicator makes it easy to apply. Hi-Yield Triclopyr Ester is unique in that it kills many broadleaf weeds as well as suppresses bermuda grass in cool season lawns. It’s a great tool to stay ahead of bermuda as it creeps into your fescue.
Summer broadleaf weeds:
Broadleaf weeds in the lawn such as clover, black medic, and dandelions are all controlled with ferti-lome Weed-Out with Crabgrass Killer because of its blend of herbicides. It’s not intended for use in vegetable, landscape or bedding areas, but it safely removes most weeds in turf areas.
If you are not sure what you are dealing with in the way of weeds, just bring a sample into the store, and we’ll get you the correct product to safely and effectively control the weed you want to control.
Your friend in the garden,
Marty Johnson
Owner - Johnson's Garden Centers
P.S. At this writing, I'm nearing Wyoming on the Tour Divide. We're racing to raise funds for HumanKind and those in our community who are facing homelessness. If you donate at our registers in June, we'll double your donation. Follow me at https://trackleaders.com/tourdivide24.
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