Weeds
"A weed is a plant in the wrong place"It can be invasive or merely a nuisance. Most plants we call weeds are native to our prairies and survive well here. Some have been accidentally imported from other areas or countries, and grow too well in ours. Some are attractive and easy enough to pull out that they can be controlled and others must be eradicated regularly so we won't become overwhelmed.
A few other things are loving the heat, but we don't like them and that's insects and weeds.
The amount of weeds this summer is alarming. Foxtail Barley, Bindweed, Common Amaranthus, Chickweed, Black Medic, Burdock, Quack Grass, Purslane, Canada Thistle and the dreaded Creeping Bellflower are all over the place just to name a few of the hard to deal with weeds.At my place, we have what we call water and weed Wednesday, although this summer it happens every day 😉. Before we weed the area, it gets a great soaking and then the weeding starts. Do small areas that you can reach easily otherwise you'll compact the soil mucking through it all. So, take it in little bits for that reason and of course, so it's not overwhelming. Another good thing about watering and weeding you will quickly understand how much water it takes to get water more than a couple of inches down. It is always best to get the weeds when they are small, but we all know that some grow super-fast and can get out of hand quickly. When the soil is moist weeds will for sure come out more easily with most of the root intact. This is especially helpful to know when you are trying to dig out Creeping Bellflower.
Creeping Bellflower is its own special something.
Yes, it can be quite pretty, but don't let its charming looks fool you.If you leave it, it will take over your entire yard, that is if it's not been reported as a noxious weed by somebody else first. Creeping Bellflower is impervious to everything. Some call it the zombie weed as nothing seems to kill it and it keeps coming back. Round-up can slow it down, but nothing short of digging it out will eradicate it. Their root system is quite robust as well. You'll often have to dig down as deep as a foot to get it all and if you don't in no time you'll be right back where you started. You may have to do it over several seasons. Persevere, you can get it out.
Most other broadleaf weeds can be treated with Killex or Weed-B-Gone.
These herbicides will kill the broadleaf weeds without harming your grass. Note: it will kill your flowers and other broadleaf plants so always use with caution. Do it when it is not windy and or protect your plants from overspray. The other option is Round-up. Do know that Round-up can kill anything green. (except for some of the aforementioned like Creeping Bellflower) Round-up has its uses in pavement, bricks, cement and back alley's where wholesale spraying can be done. Again, use caution and know which product you are using and where. So many times, we have customers who used Round-up on their lawns and then had to spend the summer re-seeding.
See all the products we sell to help you keep those pesky weeds under control:
Weed Products Catalogue page
You can read more information here on Creeping Bellflower:
Wheatland County has written a comprehensive weed identification booklet that we use here at the shop. You can download it here: