Weeds are unwanted plants that sprout up in the garden or in the backyard or crop fields naturally and prevent the plants planted from growing properly. The definition of weed depends on the perspective of the owner or the gardener. A mint plant in a cash crop field can be called a weed as its requirement is not there, whereas some people might want to purposely grow mint in their vegetable garden. Oh gosh, they are weeds!
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Chinese Wisteria
Chinese wisteria blossoms in May and June. Its bluish-purple flowers in the form of dropping clusters hung beautifully on a pergola or an arbor. As compared to American wisteria, Chinese wisteria bears large and more fragrant flowers. It takes almost 20 years to grow fully and lasts up to 100 years. It requires lots of water and full sun to part shade. This vigorous climber sends out runners that soon take over any nearby structure or plant and can grow up to 25 feet high. It requires frequent pruning and lots of maintenance. Chinese Wisteria is toxic for pets and people.
Periwinkle
Periwinkle is an invader who is native to Europe. It was first introduced in 1700 in North America as an ornamental. Now it has reached the open areas of eastern United States. This creeper is found in cemeteries, woody regions, and semi-shaded areas in parks and roadsides. It has glossy oval-shaped leaves which are an inch long. Flowers are white, purple, and blue depending on the species and blooms around April to September. This plant can reach up to a height of 6 inches and 6 feet in length. It requires frequent trimmings. Trimming should be removed from the ground as if left and may easily grow roots. Periwinkle plants grow roots and form a thick mat-like structure that does not allow any other plant to grow. One has to trim its edges consistently and keep them in bounds.
English Ivy
English Ivy is native to Europe. It was brought in 1727 to the United States. English Ivy looks beautiful on the walls of houses and beneath tall trees, if maintained properly, otherwise it may soon spread in the landscape or over the top of the trees to form a thick shade and damage the vegetation beneath. Cold and shaded areas are best for its growth. It remains green round the year, and therefore some people use it as a decorative ground cover for their gardens. It is used as an ornament during winters, especially on Christmas. It requires frequent trimming. Trims should be removed from the ground; otherwise, they can easily grow roots to form a new plant if left on the floor. Trims should be allowed to dry completely away from the soil before being disposed of.
English Ivy has many useful and medicinal properties like anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant, antitumor, antimicrobial, antiarthritic, etc. Herbalists, therefore, use it to treat problems like asthma, bronchitis, inflammation, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), and arthritis.
Heavenly Bamboo
The botanical name of Heavenly Bamboo is Nandina Domestica. It is also known as Sacred bamboo.
It is native to Eastern Asia. It is an evergreen plant valued for its beautiful ornamental leaves that become red during winter and fall. Some species also turn into light green, pink, burgundy, and so on. The shrub produces berries and white, pink or yellow flowers (depending on the species) during the summer and spring season, making it more eye-catching and beautiful. It has more than 50 species.
It grows into a dense mound-like structure and is used mostly as hedges and borders. The height ranges from 2 feet to 8 feet, depending on the variety of this plant. This is a toxic plant; therefore, one should keep pets away from it.
Oxalis
Oxalis is also known as wood sorrel. It is a common weed and is often mistaken as clover.
It can be distinguished by its three heart-shaped leaflets and yellow flowers. Flowers bloom from spring to summer. Oxalis mostly grow in dry and open places, but they can also sprout in moist or well-watered gardens. The plant can reach up to a height of 4-1 2 inches in full sun or shade. This plant produces seed capsules that, when touched, burst and spread seeds in every direction. The most commonly found species in the United States are Yellow wood sorrel and Creeping wood sorrel among 800 species.
Dandelion
Dandelions are considered to be the most common weeds found in America. They have yellow flowers that turn into puffballs which children like to blow in the air. The thick taproot of this plant sinks deep into the soil, making it hard to pluck the whole plant by the hands. The seeds are light and cover long distances in the air. They sprout easily in soil.
They were brought from Eurasia, where they were used as vegetables. Dandelions are edible weeds rich in vitamins, minerals, and prebiotic fiber. They have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
For centuries, various herbal medicines have been used to treat physical ailments, including liver diseases, cancer, and acne. They are also used in treating constipation and supporting digestion.
Weed Killers
There are different ways to get rid of weeds growing in your garden or crop fields. Some of them are:
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- Plucking – Pluck the weeds when they are small and before they could bear flowers.
- Mulching – mulch keeps sunlight away from underground seeds, so they do not sprout.
It also retains moisture and enriches the soil.
Pre-emergence herbicides prevent seeds from emerging from the soil. Preen (trifluralin) or Treflan and Dacthal are the two most commonly used pre-emergence herbicides in gardens.
Non-selective herbicides like Glyphosate are used to clear all plants on land.
Please read the label for the list of vegetables and their plant stages before applying these weed killers.
Conclusion
Thus, we can say that a weed plant has two features: firstly, they grow up naturally and spread in no time to a large area of the yard if not treated or plucked properly, and secondly, they are unwanted in the surrounding by the owner or the gardener of the property. By using natural ways or chemicals, to can get rid of them.
