Weeds: What are They and How to Get Rid of Them
Weeds are plants that are not wanted because they are persistent, hamper human activity and most of all, competes with the consumption of the soil’s nutrients. When we say that a plant is a weed, it has the ability of growing where it is not wanted and propagates abundantly and spreads quickly. Weeds can survive for a long time and is very adoptable to any soil condition, so much so that they can be found anywhere.
Weeds are considered nuisance by gardeners because some kinds of weeds attracts insects to be used as their shelter during winter and they carry crop diseases. Aside from interfering with the harvest, they minimize the quality of the produce. Some weeds produce chemicals that are
harmful to humans and animals as well as the crops. The main reason weeds are disliked by farmers and gardeners is because they compete with
the “official plants”. They compete with the space, soil’s nutrients, light, water and fertilizer.
There are many varieties of weeds and they compose about 3% of the total number of plant species. Some of the common weeds that are found in our gardens and fields are ground thistle, giant foxtail, field bindweed, stinging nettle, ivy, dandelion and barnyard grass. Ground thistles grow hidden and can remain undetected until they start flowering. Their flowers are deep pink which is surrounded by spiny leaves. Giant foxtails grow erect with a hairy stem while field bindweed has stems that are thin and wiry and twines around anything. Stinging nettle is a familiar weed and is very difficult to get rid of while iviess are the most common of the creeper weeds type. The most common weed in fields
and pastures are dandelions that have seeds that are attached to hairy parachutes which will be carried by the wind while barnyard grass on
the other hand have seeds that are large and purplish in color.
Weeds are indeed a nuisance wherever they grow and the only solution to this problem is by using weed killers. Weed killers curb the growth of
weeds and minimize it from growing back. Weed killers or also known as herbicides are chemical agents that kill weeds and prevent them from
growing up again. There are weed killers that are targeted on a specific variety of weed but there are also those that kill all the plants which come in contact with it. These are used to clear large areas like railway embankments and industrial sites.
Like other plants in your garden, some weeds are easy to deal with while others keep growing back and are considered great nuisance. Selecting
herbicides depends on the type of weeds you want to eradicate and the type of herbicide you want. There are three kinds of herbicides. These
are pre-emergence herbicides, post-emergence herbicides and non-selective herbicides. Pre-emergence herbicides are preferably used when you expect weeds to raise their head in your lawn. You can spray them as soon as you get any signs of weed growth. Post-emergence herbicides can be sprayed when weeds have already started growing. The strongest weed killers are the non-selective herbicides which kill all the plants and are used to clear large areas especially before reseeding.
If you don’t want to use commercial herbicides, you can make your own weed killer with ingredients that are found in your home like salt, bleach and vinegar. You can spray bleach in your lawn to curb weed growth. The bleach powder will evaporate within a next few days making your lawn as healthy as ever but this is not advisable if you have a huge lawn. You can also add a pinch of salt at the base of unwanted plants.
Whatever method you choose to use to get rid of weeds in your garden or field, be reminded that they can poison the plants as well as you if you are not careful. Follow directions carefully if you are using commercial herbicides. You have to take into consideration the weed killer reviews as well as the type of weed affecting your plants before choosing the weed killer. It’s important to act fast as soon as you sense weed growth in your garden because the more that become in number, the more they will be hard to get rid of.
