How to Identify and Get Rid of Them At this time of year the lawn weeds you've been battling all summer are ending their life cycles and going to seed. If you do nothing to eradicate the old plants and seeds this fall, new plants will joyfully pop up come spring. To reduce weed invasion, apply some controls over the winter.
Weeds are separated into two types: grassy (such as foxtail barley) and broadleaf (black medic, ragweed, prostrate knotweed, buckhorn plantain, prostrate spurge). Weeds are also annual (such as shepherd's purse) or perennial (bindweed).
Once weeds flower, they're well on their way to producing and distributing seeds. In the case of annuals, you can use a mechanical weeder or digging tool to unearth the plant and possibly even bag it before disposing of it, ensuring that seeds are not scattered. Unless you want weeds in your compost, it's best not to discard invasive plants in your compost pile, recommends Colorado extension agent Robert Cox.
Some type of chemical control may be necessary to eradicate perennial weeds: pulling them is an exercise in futility. Most herbicides are safe if used according to label directions. At times you may want to spot spray--that is, to target individual weeds without endangering nearby plants.
Keep in mind that different climates and soil can limit or encourage certain weeds' spread, which means levels of invasiveness largely depend on where you live. Check with your county extension office for more information on controlling difficult weeds in your area.
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