Are You Ready For Summer Weeds?

Weeds are plants that are not valued where they are growing and are usually of vigorous growth, especially ones that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants. Summer annual weeds emerge in the spring or early summer, grow during the summer, produce seed in mid to late summer. 

Sandbur

Sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) is a low-growing summer annual weed which is found in dense spreading patches most commonly in sandy soils. It roots at the nodes on the stems if they touch the ground. The leaves are folded in the bud, ¼ inch wide, and tapering to a point. The ligule is a short fringe of hairs and the auricles are absent. The seed head is a single spike with 6 to 20 rounded burs which contain 2 seeds in each bur. Sandbur seeds catch on clothing and animal fur and the barbed burs can easily pierce the skin and cause injury to livestock and people. Plants growing low to the ground can still produce burs. After a frost, entire plants become straw-colored, but stems with burs can persist through the winter. Seed dispersal occurs by animals, farm equipment, tires and in contaminated hay. Water is also important for seed dispersal, as burs float and may be carried for miles in irrigations ditches and other waterways.

Crabgrass

Crabgrass, large and smooth (Digitaria sanguinalis, Digitaria ischaemum) are pale green summer annuals that has a prostrate or ascending growth habit. The two main species of crabgrass that occur in Missouri are smooth and large. Smooth crabgrass may be distinguished from large crabgrass by the absence of hairs on the leaves and sheath. Also smooth crabgrass does not root at the nodes like large crabgrass. Both species have a long, jagged membranous ligule and have no auricles. Crabgrass forms dense, unsightly patches that smother desirable turf grasses. Germination occurs when soil temperatures consistently reach 55 degrees F and is generally killed at the first frost. A crabgrass plant which needs warm soils and sunlight can produce 150,000 seeds. The seed head is composed of 2-6 branches (spikes) at the top of the stems forming 2 rows along the spike.

To control early in the season, use a pre-emergent herbicide as soon as soil temperatures reach 55 degrees F for a period of four days about the time forsythia blooms. A pre-emergent herbicide is recommended even if some crabgrass plants have germinated. There will still be crabgrass seed in the soil and the herbicide    can prevent further infestation. Do not aerate after a pre-emergent herbicide application. For crabgrass control after germination, use a post-emergent selective grass herbicide.

Witchgrass

Panicum capillare is known as witchgrass or tickle grass.  Culms are erect or spreading at the base.  They are hollow, and pubescent at the nodes.  They grow from 8 to 28” inches tall.  The inflorescence is often ½ the length of the entire plant.  It is purplish at maturity.  It is softly hairy and the seeds are 1/16 of an inch.  The head breaks off easily and rolls away in the wind, like a tumbleweed.

Goosegrass

Goosegrass (Elusine indica) is a prostrate-growing summer annual weed that grows in a clump. The leaves are distinctly folded in the bud and may be smooth or have a few sparse hairs at the base of the leaf. Goosegrass can be identified by the whitish stems at the base that are extremely compressed and flattened. The ligule is toothed and membranous with a cut in the center. There are no auricles. Goosegrass seed heads contain 3-7 spikes that form at the tip of the stalk. The seeds are attached in a zipper appearance on the spike. Goosegrass germinates about two weeks later than smooth crabgrass. Goosegrass can tolerate heavy traffic, dry compacted soils and low mowing heights.

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