How to Beat the Weeds
As Earth-lovers and tree-huggers, we encourage physical removal over chemical herbicides. Mike’s favorite hand weeding tools are a hori-hori knife and a hula hoe. (Oh, those horticulturalists and their loamy humor.) On the other hand, why not prevent weeds from germinating in the first place? One of the most efficient, quickest, and cost-effective methods is placing a thick layer of mulch – 4 inches or so – directly on the ground. Be careful not to mound the mulch up on the plant stem or smother smaller perennials.
Below are several of the weeds you’ll be meeting in your shade gardens now and in next several weeks of spring – along with tips to manage them.
Veldt grass (Ehrharta erecta )
A shade-thriving weed, erect Veldt grass, speads quickly and densely. Manually remove mature plants, including the buried crown, to reduce the plants’ density, however, it also often stimulates seed generation. Again, best to catch these as they appear as seedlings. All the buried plant parts must be removed to prevent resprouting.
Hairy Bittercress (also known as winter bittercress and popping cress) loves moist soil and also tends to hang around in shadey gardens. The first flowers appear in late February or early March, quickly form seed pods, and mature. It is not aggressive enough to warrant herbicides; their shallow roots come away quite easily. However, once they mature, a slight touch will cause seed pods to explode, distributing seeds up to 3 feet in every direction. Throughout the year, beat these weeds by always pulling the seedlings when you see them.
Although sold as an ornamental plant in most nurseries in the United States, ivy is, technically, a weed that flourishes in the shade. If you’ve spent any amount trying to managing it, you know what we mean! Ivy grows and spreadss vigorously from stem fragments that make contact with the soil as well as by seed dispersement. Individual vines can be pulled by hand when soil is moist. Vines covering the ground can be uprooted and gathered using a heavy-duty rake, then cut back close to the ground with a pruning tool.
Common Chickweed is the number one weed that bedevils Sonoma Co shade gardens. It is most often found in cool, moist, shady, often compacted, fertile sites. Pull out foliage and roots before it spreads wider and goes to seed.
Common mallow is an aggressive weed whose long taproot makes it difficult to eradicate. If the taproot breaks off, it will re-emerge even in dry soil. Control established plants by moistening soil and digging out the entire length of roots or mow repeatedly to weaken and prevent formation of seed pods.
Prickly lettuce is a broad-leaved weed that thrives in disturbed soil, dandelions being among the most common. It has, as the name suggests, soft prickles on stems and leaves that release a milky substance when broken. Seeds germinate easily and maturing plants quickly develop a deep tap root. With prickly lettuce, you need to beat these weeds before flowers set seed by pulling plants where soil is loose in garden beds. In heavy or compacted soil, dig out the tap root.
Crabgrass is a low-growing summer annual that forms large round rosettes. Its center can rise up to 6 inches high. Its stems root from the lower nodes. Control crabgrass as it appears in early spring by removing young plants before seeds form.
