Care and How-To - Weeds
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Effective methods to get rid of ground ivy in lawns and gardens. Discover non-chemical options, herbicide recommendations, and lawn care tips to manage this persistent weed and maintain a healthy landscape.
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Corn gluten meal is an organic herbicide and fertilizer that prevents weed seed germination. To be most effective, proper timing and use are essential. Learn more about using corn gluten meal as a herbicide.
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When Kentucky bluegrass and other cool-season grasses begin to green-up in spring, some home gardeners are dismayed to see brown spots in the lawn. In some cases, the brown spots are dead patch.
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Organic weed control relies on a combination of cultural, mechanical, and physical methods to prevent weeds from establishing and to manage those that do emerge. Common practices include mulching, cultivation, hand weeding, and organic herbicides, all of which work best when applied early and consistently.
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Poison ivy causes allergic reactions when you come in contact with it. Learn more about safely removing this weedy vine from your garden.
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Crabgrass is a difficult to manage weed in the lawn. Learn about control of this annual weed, including when to apply preemergent herbicide for the best control.
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Canada thistle is an aggressive perennial weed that spreads by seeds and rhizomes. Control can be difficult, requiring persistence and herbicides to be applied at the appropriate time.
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Woody weeds are trees and shrubs that have woody plant tissue. Examples of woody weeds include tree of heaven, bush honeysuckle, and poison ivy.
These weeds can be particularly difficult to manage, especially if they grow large.
Keeping ahead of weeds and controlling them when they are small is essential for good weed management. This requires persistence throughout the entire growing season to remove weeds as they emerge.
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Learn effective weed management for your garden. Discover types of weeds, their impact, and tips for controlling them to maintain a healthy landscape.
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Effective weed management in vegetable gardens is important and involves using multiple methods, often together. Learn about the many different options for controlling weeds in your home vegetable garden.
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Controlling weedy vines can be difficult. There are several tactics that can be considered to manage these weeds depending on the species including pulling, digging, cutting, mowing, and herbicides.
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Perennial broadleaf weeds die back to ground level in fall but send up new growth in spring. These weed species have leaves that are wider and often have a major vein running down the center of the leaf with secondary veins branching off of
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Flame weeding is the use of intense heat, usually produced by a propane torch or other fuel-burning device, to kill weeds. This organic option for weeding causes the water and sap inside the plant cell to boil and expand rupturing the cell w
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Annual weeds grow, flower, and set seed within a season. They can be difficult to control. Utilize preemergent herbicides, mulch, and other techniques to reduce future infestations.
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Perennial grassy weeds die back to ground level in the fall but send up new growth from the same root system in the spring. Keeping ahead of weeds and controlling them when they are small is essential for good weed management. This requires persistence throughout the entire growing season to remove weeds as they emerge. Cultivation, hand pulling, mulches, and herbicides are the primary means to control weeds in the home garden.
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In spring, the cool-season lawns common across much of Iowa turn a vibrant green. Occasionally, you will notice large "dead" patches of grass. Often the brown patch of grass seems to get larger every year. Upon closer inspection of the grass, one can see that there are no spots on the blades (from fungal fruiting bodies) or darkening of the roots or crowns (the part of the plant at the soil line). These brown spots are typically caused by a couple of different environmental issues.
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Dandelions are both beloved and detested. Their bright, cheery blooms can spread prolifically, making them difficult to control. Learn about the options for controlling dandelions in the lawn and garden.
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With so many different products available, understanding the active ingredient and how to use the label is essential for proper use of herbicides. Learn about how herbicides work and how to use them effectively by reading the label.
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Control weeds in perennial gardens with hand-pulling, mulch, proper spacing, targeted watering, and careful herbicide use.
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When algae is a problem it can cause unsightly damage. Learn how to manage it.