Common Weeds
How you manage common weeds can make a difference for stormwater. Healthy, vegetated soil helps slow rainfall, absorb water, and reduce the amount of runoff and erosion that can carry pollutants into storm drains and local waterways. Understanding what weeds are growing in your yard can also provide clues about soil conditions, helping you address the underlying issue instead of relying on chemical treatments.
Of course, removing common weeds isn’t always necessary. If a plant isn’t invasive, causing a problem, or interfering with how you use your yard, leaving it alone may be the simplest option. Keeping the soil covered with vegetation can help protect it from erosion while reducing unnecessary lawn maintenance.
Chickweed (annual)
Appearance: Mat forming; pairs of yellowish green leaves on trailing, slender stems
Soil Indications: Low calcium, phosphorus; high nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, organic matter
Removal: Pull by hand; overseed with grass seed late in the summer before weed reestablishes
Crabgrass (annual)
Appearance: Coarse textured, yellow-green grass with reddish, branched stems
Soil Indications: Low calcium, phosphorus; high nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, organic matter
Removal: Pull by hand; overseed with grass seed late in the summer before weed reestablishes
Broadleaf Plantain (annual)
Appearance: Broad oval, leaves in a rosette; stock rising from the center; deep taproots
Soil Indications: High calcium, potassium, phosphorus; poor drainage; hardpan; acidic
Removal: Add lime, compost, compost tea; dig deep, aerate with a core aerator
Curly Dock (perennial)
Appearance: Often confused with dandelion; long serrated leaves; taproot
Soil Indication: Low calcium, bacteria; pH; high phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, poor drainage
Removal: Add calcitic lime, compost, compost tea, dig by hand
Chicory (perennial)
Appearance: Leaves resembling dandelions at base, deep taproots
Soil Indications: Low calcium, nitrogen, hummus; high potassium, sulfur, anaerobic
Removal: Add calcium, nitrogen, compost, compost tea, dig deeply to get full root system
Creeping Charlie (perennial)
Appearance: Low-growing, creeping plant with scalloped leaves and small, purple flowers
Soil Indications: Low nitrogen, bacteria; high calcium, iron, sulfur; poor drainage
Removal: Add nitrogen, compost, compost tea; dethatch
Hawkweed (perennial)
Appearance: Bright orange and yellow flowers on leafless stems; also called Indian paintbrush
Soil Indications: Low calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus, hummus, bacteria, pH
Removal: Add calcium, nitrogen, compost, compost tea, calcitic lime
Violet (perennial)
Appearance: Common ground cover with heart shaped leaves; purple or white flowers in the spring
Soil Indications: Low calcium, pH
Removal: Add calcitic lime; hand remove as much of root system as possible
Credit: Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District.
Learn more at: http://cumberlandswcd.org/site/yardscape-2/
