5 Common Missouri Weeds and How to Avoid Them
Whether you’re trying grow a bountiful garden or if you’re trying to keep a clean cut lawn, weeds in the summer can get in the way of your yard and garden goals. If your yard has soil that is filled with clay, weeds are likely to flourish and kill your grass or plants. In Missouri, weeds aren’t hard to find in the summertime and may become hard to get rid of. In this week’s blog, Best Pest Control will discuss some common Missouri weeds and how to avoid them.
While these weeds produce bright yellow flowers that turn into balls of fluff that are perfect for making wishes, they can choke off your plants and flowers in your yard. Dandelions are a perennial broadleaf. White clover, thistle, violets and chickweed are also included in this category of weeds. Their roots spread wide underground and their jagged leaves can spread out from the base of the weed as far as ten inches, making them hard to get rid of.
Marestail
Also known as horseweed, marestail is a fast spreading weed that can be detrimental to crops, but also can pop up in gardens and flower beds throughout the United States. One of these plants can produce up to 50,000 seeds, so you can see how fast these pesky weeds can spread. Marestail can be identified by tall stems that can reach up to five to six feet and small leaves cover the entirety of the stem.
Bull Thistle
If you’ve ever noticed weeds with bright purple heads popping up around your home, it is likely that these could be bull thistles. These were once native to Europe, but they have made their way to the United States, including Missouri. The stems of these weeds contain wing like structures that produce thin, sharp thorns.
Crabgrass
This weed grows in grassy lawns and it spreads thick and low to the ground which chokes out regular grass. There are three crabgrass plants that are commonly found in yards and these include: hairy crabgrass, southern crabgrass and smooth crabgrass. All three of these are pale green in color have wide blades. Crabgrass grows in the best in direct sunlight. It’s important to take care of these weeds early because one plant can produce up to 150,000 seeds.
Yellow Foxtail
These weeds also have a grass-like appearance, but unlike crabgrass, they grow up rather than out. Leaves can grow to be up to 12 inches long. You can identify these weeds by long silky hairs that they grow at the base of the leaves. These can be found growing in a large variety of places including: ditches, pastures, gardens, orchards and crop fields.
How to Avoid Weeds
Let’s face it, weeds are going to be easier to prevent than to get rid of once they’ve made way into your lawn or garden. Weeds spread fast and the sooner you get them under control, the better. To avoid growing weeds, you can apply a pre-emergent chemical that stops weeds from germinating. You can also generously mulch your flower beds to prevent weeds from sprouting up. Two inch deep mulch will help kill any small weeds that are growing. Make sure to leave mulch-free areas around your flowers, plants and scrubs to allow them to grow despite the mulch.
To keep your garden from growing weeds during the dormant winter months, plant a cover crop to compete with weeds. When spring time comes, you can till these cover crops into the soil to serve as organic fertilizer for your fruits and vegetables. To keep weeds out of your yard, make sure to regularly mow during the spring and summer to eliminate growth of unwanted weeds.
We Can Help!
If you’ve found that weeds have already made their way into your garden or yard, call Best Pest Control to get rid of existing weeds. Despite our name, Best Pest Control doesn’t only offer great pest control services, we also offer lawn treatments, weed spraying and leaf blowing and removal. If you’re looking to spruce up your garden or lawn in the Lake of the Ozarks area, give us a call today.
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Common Weeds
DandelionsWhile these weeds produce bright yellow flowers that turn into balls of fluff that are perfect for making wishes, they can choke off your plants and flowers in your yard. Dandelions are a perennial broadleaf. White clover, thistle, violets and chickweed are also included in this category of weeds. Their roots spread wide underground and their jagged leaves can spread out from the base of the weed as far as ten inches, making them hard to get rid of.
Marestail
Also known as horseweed, marestail is a fast spreading weed that can be detrimental to crops, but also can pop up in gardens and flower beds throughout the United States. One of these plants can produce up to 50,000 seeds, so you can see how fast these pesky weeds can spread. Marestail can be identified by tall stems that can reach up to five to six feet and small leaves cover the entirety of the stem.
Bull Thistle
If you’ve ever noticed weeds with bright purple heads popping up around your home, it is likely that these could be bull thistles. These were once native to Europe, but they have made their way to the United States, including Missouri. The stems of these weeds contain wing like structures that produce thin, sharp thorns.
Crabgrass
This weed grows in grassy lawns and it spreads thick and low to the ground which chokes out regular grass. There are three crabgrass plants that are commonly found in yards and these include: hairy crabgrass, southern crabgrass and smooth crabgrass. All three of these are pale green in color have wide blades. Crabgrass grows in the best in direct sunlight. It’s important to take care of these weeds early because one plant can produce up to 150,000 seeds.
Yellow Foxtail
These weeds also have a grass-like appearance, but unlike crabgrass, they grow up rather than out. Leaves can grow to be up to 12 inches long. You can identify these weeds by long silky hairs that they grow at the base of the leaves. These can be found growing in a large variety of places including: ditches, pastures, gardens, orchards and crop fields.
How to Avoid Weeds
Let’s face it, weeds are going to be easier to prevent than to get rid of once they’ve made way into your lawn or garden. Weeds spread fast and the sooner you get them under control, the better. To avoid growing weeds, you can apply a pre-emergent chemical that stops weeds from germinating. You can also generously mulch your flower beds to prevent weeds from sprouting up. Two inch deep mulch will help kill any small weeds that are growing. Make sure to leave mulch-free areas around your flowers, plants and scrubs to allow them to grow despite the mulch.
To keep your garden from growing weeds during the dormant winter months, plant a cover crop to compete with weeds. When spring time comes, you can till these cover crops into the soil to serve as organic fertilizer for your fruits and vegetables. To keep weeds out of your yard, make sure to regularly mow during the spring and summer to eliminate growth of unwanted weeds.
We Can Help!
If you’ve found that weeds have already made their way into your garden or yard, call Best Pest Control to get rid of existing weeds. Despite our name, Best Pest Control doesn’t only offer great pest control services, we also offer lawn treatments, weed spraying and leaf blowing and removal. If you’re looking to spruce up your garden or lawn in the Lake of the Ozarks area, give us a call today.
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573-348-1600 in Osage Beach
573-873-1118 in Camdenton
573-873-1118 in Camdenton
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