...for discerning weeders September, 2013
An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication
WEED OF THE MONTH Inside this issue:
Seeds for the
2
Future Mini Melons
3
Coming Soon!
3
Good Guy
4
Walk on the
4
Wild Side Food for
5
Thought News and
5
Book Review
6
Let’s Get
6
Serious Events
7 8
Last Word
9
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August/September! This is the height of summer weed season!! Garden beds are sharing space with a host of annual weeds. Young Chamberbitter-looking like mini Mimosa trees— are everywhere. Ground-hugging Spurge sprouts up every minute or two! You’ll likely find Florida Pusley hugging the ground as well— sporting its 2-four petaled white flowers. Oxalis masquerading as a Clover look-a-like, Dollarweed, loving this rainy, summer weather and a host of other weeds are vying for space. Common Lambsquarters, Chenopodium album, is present too. This rapidly-growing summer annual weed can grow from a few inches to a grand 6 feet! This extremely variable growth behavior depends on location and enables the plant to adapt to many environmental conditions. It is often found along roadsides or in open fields. Yet plants found in lawns or gardens may produce seeds when only a couple inches tall! Lambsquarters really prefer the rich soil of our flower gardens or vegetable beds. Its leaves vary in shape from triangular to ovate to lanceolate. The first two true leaves are opposite and ovate with smooth edges. Later leaves are alternate, arrowhead-shaped with unevenly –toothed edges. At the top of the plant, the leaves become long and narrow. Leaves are pale green and covered with a white or gray coating that give the appearance of frost; but the undersides can be purplish. Flowers are small, inconspicuous, yellow-green, and occur in clusters at the tips of branches and upper leaf axils. Flowers occur from July to September. Seed color varies from black to brown to brownish-green. A single plant can produce thousands of seeds which can persist in the soil for years. These seeds have been known to survive 30-40 years! The weedy nature of Lambsquarters comes 1
By Jenny G. from its adaptability rather than from the aggressiveness that characterizes many other weeds. Lambsquarters is not destructively competitive; its survival depends primarily on seed production. Once pollination and seed set occur, so many seeds are produced that a carpet of Lambsquarters can emerge even in fields frequently cultivated. Seed longevity ensures the continued presence of seedlings for years after a population is apparently controlled. New infestations of Lambsquarters are patchy, but stands soon become so dense that they may smother crops. The best methods of weed control in the home vegetable garden are mulching, hand pulling, rototilling, hoeing and preventing the weeds from going to seed. Because of its short, branched taproot, Lambsquarters can be easily hand-pulled from moist soil. the seeds are so persistent in the soil, removal of escapes from the garden before they set seeds is critical for long-term control. Prevention by use of good cultural habits should be the first line of defense in eliminating broadleaf weeds such as Lambsquarters from lawns and gardens. Pre-emergent herbicides can be used to prevent germination of this weeds seeds. Post-emergent herbicides effective against broadleaf weeds are 2,4-D, MCPP and dicamba (sold under many brand names) and combination formulas. Read labels to be sure the herbicide is effective against the weeds you want to eliminate and carefully follow labeled directions. Continued on page 2