As the weather starts to cool down this fall, there will be four common weeds you need to be on the lookout for in Arizona. You should know how to identify and treat these weeds, so you can prevent them from taking over your lawn this fall. With that said, here are the four pesky weeds to look out for: henbit, chickweed, prickly lettuce, and horseweed. Keep reading so you can find out how to correctly spot these weeds and what you can do to eliminate them from your property!
Henbits are weeds that can grow between four to twelve inches tall. Their stems are square, typically purplish, and their leaves can be round or heart-shaped. The flowers they produce are small and dark pink. Henbit plants can produce 2,000 or more seeds that germinate in the fall. The best way to get rid of henbit is to apply a pre-emergent herbicide in late summer or early fall before germination begins. However, if you miss this window for a pre-emergent treatment, it's still possible to administer a post-emergent treatment directly to the weeds to eliminate them!
Chickweeds rarely grow higher than 2 inches on a lawn but can grow a little taller in well-shaded gardens. You can distinguish them from other weeds by the tiny flowers they produce. They reproduce by spreading their seeds and can produce approximately 800 seeds, especially when temperatures are cooler. You can effectively deal with chickweed by applying pre-emergent weed control in either late summer or early fall before germination or by administering a post-emergent treatment from mid to late fall during their active growth period.
If you've had issues with weeds in your landscape beds, install a rock ground covering to help prevent weeds from sprouting!
Prickly lettuce is a stubborn weed that grows as high as 6 1/2 feet tall. Their leaves are egg-shaped, have prickly edges, and have a row of spiny bristles along the lower midvein. The flowers that bloom sometimes cause prickly lettuce to be mistaken for dandelions during the rosette stage since they're also yellow. This weed reproduces by seeds. Each plant can produce 35 to 2,300 flowers, and each flower contains an average of 20 seeds, meaning that the estimated seed production of a single plant can range between 700 to 46,000! You can control this weed by utilizing either pre- or post-emergent weed control treatments.
Horseweed can range between 1 to 5 feet tall. You'll find the surface of their leaves are hairy, and they'll produce small, inconspicuous greenish-white flowers on the tips of the stems. These flowers will typically bloom anytime from June through September. This plant can produce up to 200,000 seeds per plant, and they start germinating in late summer or early fall. The best way to deal with horseweed is by administering a pre-emergent weed control treatment since it tends to spread rapidly, but post-emergent herbicides can work well against it while it's still small during the rosette stage.
Don't let these four weeds take over your lawn this fall season! Reach out to us so we can stop them before they even have a chance to sprout! At Little John's Lawns, we have a comprehensive weed control program that includes pre- and post-emergent weed control treatments to keep your property free of weeds year-round. We service commercial, HOA, and residential properties in the Gilbert, AZ area, including surrounding areas such as Chandler and Mesa. Call us today to sign up for our weed control program!
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