Some weeds are more difficult to eliminate than others. This is the case for those that spread via underground rhizomes, like quack grass, or those with a single taproot firmly anchored in the soil, like dandelions. In either case, a tiny fragment left in the soil is enough to guarantee a strong comeback.
To get rid of weeds on your property, it's important to be able to identify them. Then you can take the appropriate steps to fight them.
Here is a top 10 of the most common weeds as well as tips to effectively control them.
- Plantain
- Poison ivy
- Dandelions
- Amaranth
- Oxalis
- Ground ivy
- Chickweed
- Crabgrass
- Field bindweed
- Wild violets
How to get rid of plantain
Plantain is a perennial plant that grows in practically all kinds of soils. As it grows very close to the ground, its broad leaves create a thick mat which prevents grass from establishing. This plant has green-grey flowers that form spikes.
Because plantain produces a huge number of seeds, it is absolutely essential to prevent it from flowering and fruiting.
How to fight plantain
First, you need to maintain your lawn properly, so it stays thick. If there are only a few small plants, you can pull them by hand. Make sure to remove all roots, as even the smallest remain could be enough for a new plant to grow. You can also control plantain using a ready-to-use herbicide like WEED OUT in the lawn or WIPE OUT everywhere else in the garden.
How to recognize poison ivy
Poison ivy is a perennial that forms an extensive network of underground stems and has compound leaves with three leaflets. Its leaves, which are toothed or smooth and reddish in early spring, turn green as the season progresses. The pollen from its flower has a pungent and repellent odour.
This plant can be found in various places, such as groves, along roads and fences, and in dry, rocky or well-lit places.
How to fight poison ivy
If you choose to pull poison ivy, it's important to always wear thick rubber gloves and safety glasses. The plant contains urushiol, a substance that causes severe skin rashes in 90% of people. More reason not to tolerate it on your property!
You can also spray it with the herbicide WIPE OUT when it's actively growing, in late spring or early summer. Note that you should never burn it.
Dandelions… a plant that's hard to get rid of
Dandelions have indented, bright green leaves and yellow flowers that form white "puff balls" after they have dried. It's important to keep them from going to seed, as that is when they propagate, with a little help from the wind.
Dandelions are found mostly in sunny places, but they grow practically anywhere.
How to fight dandelions
Prevent this weed by overseeding your lawn in the spring; this will make your lawn healthy and vigorous. If you choose to pull them by hand, it's important that you remove all the roots. You can use a pre-emergence herbicide before the seeds germinate in early spring. If the seeds have already germinated, use a ready-to-use herbicide like WEED OUT or WIPE OUT to eliminate the plants down to the root.
How to recognize amaranth
Amaranth is an annual species that originally grew in fields and meadows. Today, it's also found in lawns. This weed can be recognized by its oval leaves, which are mottled with red and often covered in fine hairs. It has spiky flowers that produce seeds capable of remaining dormant in the soil for 40 years.
Amaranth can be found pretty much everywhere, such as in places where the soil has been disturbed.
How to fight amaranth
Amaranth is relatively easy to pull when it's young and the soil is moist. You will probably need a shovel to remove all the roots. Never allow it to flower or pull it when it is in bloom as you risk spreading thousands of seeds.
Use a post-emergence herbicide like WIPE OUT when the plant is less than 4 inches high. Read the label carefully, as amaranth is resistant to several herbicides.
To learn more about amaranth, see our other article.
How to recognize oxalis
Oxalis is a weed with heart-shaped leaves similar to clover leaves. This plant does not reach more than 5 to 8 cm in height and has small flowers with 5 petals, which develop from spring to fall.
Oxalis can be found in thin lawns and along pathways and foundations. It grows in nearly any conditions (sun or shade, moist or dry soil, clay or sandy soil).
How to fight oxalis
You can remove oxalis from flower beds by hand, but you'll probably need a trowel or small shovel. Dig deep enough to remove the bulbs and small roots. It is recommended not to pull the plants that grow in the lawn to avoid propagation. Also, make sure the bulbils don't burst, as this would create new plants.
How to recognize ground ivy (creeping Charlie)
Ground ivy is a creeping plant that belongs to the same family as mint. It has round or heart-shaped, toothed leaves. You will most often find it in damp, shady areas or in disturbed soils.
How to fight ground ivy
It is important to maintain your lawn based on an annual plan, as this weed tends to invade thin, weak lawns. It is possible to remove it by hand, but this won't help much if the plant has already propagated. Use a broadleaf plant herbicide like WEED OUT in the fall, just before ground ivy goes dormant. It will more easily absorb the product then. You can reapply that same herbicide in the spring.
How to identify chickweed
Chickweed has small, pointed, teardrop-shaped leaves and stems covered in tiny hairs. Its foliage is bright green, and its very small white flowers have five petals.
It can be found in all types of soils, but prefers humid, shady places and cool temperatures.
How to fight chickweed
Maintaining a healthy lawn will help prevent the presence of chickweed. You can remove it from flower beds by hand at the beginning of the season, while its roots are still shallow. In flower gardens, use the post-emergence herbicide WIPE OUT if chickweed is already growing.
How to recognize crabgrass
Crabgrass is often mistaken for grass until the end of summer, when it takes on a reddish or purplish colour and produces divided stems resembling the legs of a crab, hence the name given to it.
Prevent that type of weed by keeping your lawn healthy based on a lawn maintenance plan. Crabgrass is often found in thin lawns and bare spots. Applying a layer of mulch in your flower beds will help prevent its presence. You can pull it at the beginning of the season, while its roots are still shallow. Once the plant has gone to seed, it is harder to pull. That is why it's important to use a post-emergence herbicide. As crabgrass tends to regrow in bare areas, it is recommended to reseed two to three months after you've applied the herbicide.
To learn more about crabgrass, read our other article.
Should we get rid of field bindweed?
Despite its pretty flower, this creeping weed species is considered a pest in gardens and crops like corn and wheat. It has white or pale pink trumpet-shaped flowers, and its leaves form arrows. Once established, field bindweed is particularly difficult to control.
This plant can be found along streams and roads, as well as in grasslands, fields, vineyards, gardens and lawns.
How to fight field bindweed
Field bindweed has strong, deep roots, and that's why it's difficult to eliminate. The best way to get rid of it is to pull it by hand. However, you will have to start over every three to five years. After you've pulled the weed, throw the plant in the trash (do not compost it!) to prevent propagation, and mow your lawn on a regular basis to keep it from going to seed.
Should wild violets be eliminated?
Because they're visually attractive, wild violets are rarely considered as weeds. They tend to spread quickly and are difficult to control when they invade lawns or flower beds.
Wild violets can be recognized by their violet, white or yellow colour and heart-shaped leaves. They are mostly found in Central and Eastern Canada, in places where conditions are humid and shady.
How to fight wild violets
This weed is one of the most difficult to uproot. The slightest piece of rhizome is enough for new plants to develop. You can use a non-selective herbicide for broadleaf weeds if the plant is not in a lawn. Treat at the beginning of summer or fall, and then overseed any bare spots in your lawn.
Learn more about how to eliminate wild violets in our other article.
