News from the Edible Demo Garden
September 2024: Tackling the Weeds
No matter what season, there is always weeding to be done in the Edible Demo Garden. Weeds seem to pop up everywhere – in and between the raised beds, in containers, and even in the straw bales. They are the uninvited guests among the cultivated organic fruits and vegetables.What is a Weed?
The definition of a weed is tricky – more a value judgement rather than a plant category. Weed is a label given to a plant that is undesirable where it is growing. Any type of plant can be considered a weed if it turns up as an unwanted volunteer and competes with crops and landscape plants for water and nutrients or harbors viruses that can infect other plants.
![Amaranth is an attractive edible plant that can become a weedy nuisance if its spread is not controlled Amaranth is an attractive edible plant that can become a weedy nuisance if its spread is not controlled](http://ucanr.edu/sites/MarinMG/files/401808display.jpg)
Although weeds are often described as invasive, the UC Integrated Pest Management Program considers invasive plants to be “a distinct group of weeds that occur in natural habitats”. They differ from common garden and agricultural weeds in that they are non-native and infest ecosystems causing damage to natural areas.
Annual vs Perennial Weeds
Annual weeds appear seasonally in summer or winter and are spread only by seeds. This makes a difference in how they can be controlled. The strategy is to get them out before they can go to seed. Common annual weeds include cheeseweed, crabgrass, purslane, and spurge.
Perennial weeds all have underground parts that enable them to spread through root systems as well as through seeds. These are the more stubborn weeds such as bermudagrass, field bindweed, dandelion, and yellow nutsedge. It takes some digging to completely remove perennial weeds.
Weed Management in the Edible Demo Garden
![Yellow nutsedge, field bindweed, and foxtails are among the weeds that have taken over this flower patch Yellow nutsedge, field bindweed, and foxtails are among the weeds that have taken over this flower patch](http://ucanr.edu/sites/MarinMG/files/401807display.jpg)
Read more about controlling weeds by clicking here.
Additional information can be found on the UC IPM website by clicking here.