Trouble in the Turf!

Although my small-scale garden is rich with blooms, greenery and fresh produce this month (all great reasons to participate in the Adventure of Gardening)… this droughty summer has provided Southeastern Wisconsin with lots of healthy, happy WEEDS!  

I have some weeds in my veggie gardens and raised beds—thanks to chipmunks who often bury seeds in the strangest places— the largest contingent of assorted weeds occurs within turf grass areas.

Some weeds can be dug out successfully, but often a tiny bit of root remains which can regenerate an entire plant in a few weeks in some weed species.  Weeds can be sprayed, if you are so inclined; but my horticulture instructors  suggested if there are just a few weeds present, just dig-and-dispose, which is kinder to our environment. 

Annuals and some perennials required supplemental watering this summer, but weeds can manage well in poor quality soil, compacted soil, minimal water and crowded conditions! Some weeds that are tenacious and troublesome in the turf are shown here:

White Clover

White Clover

:  Although clover has “some” redeeming qualities (pollen for bees and it fixes nitrogen in the soil) clover is tenacious and troublesome in residential turf.  If you have kids or grandkids running in the yard, they could easily disturb bees busy collecting pollen and could get stung.  I understand if dogs ingest clover, it can cause stomach issues … and probably a trip to the veterinarian.  

White clover has gained popularity as a turf grass substitute— a ground cover that does not need mowing.  (sorry, NOT for me!)

Black Walnut

Black Walnut:  The Juglans nigra tree is known to deposit juglone in the soil wherever its root system spreads.  Juglone can be deadly for plants like tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, petunias, and many others.  

When a squirrel buries a nut in my garden or turf, I destroy it immediately (as soon as tiny pinkish leaves emerge, so I can confirm it is black walnut.) 

Quack Grass

Quack grass: (with full root shown, pointy white spikes, can grow two feet long) This weed is invasive and TROUBLE!   Since it is a monocot, and desirable turf grasses are also monocots, an herbicide that might kill broadleaf weeds won’t have an effect on quack!  If quack is present in your turf grasses, it can easily send rhizomes underground and invade your weed-free garden beds.

Black Medic

Black Medic:  This weed is tough and tenacious AND a prolific reseeder!  Each tiny yellow flower (approx. ¼” diameter) is capable of yielding 20 -30 viable seeds per flower. It is active during our entire growing season, and is an unwelcome resident in the turf.  (Seeds can wash into your turf from a neighbor’s yard, which is how my problem began 10 years ago… the Battle of Black Medic continues.  I am determined to achieve victory!)    

M. Lynn Schmid, Master Gardener
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture