Ag Line: Weeds, Weeds & More
By Wade Parker County Extension Coordinator

It may not feel like it, or at least it didn't last week, but summertime is officially behind us. As the weeds in our gardens, fields, and yards will soon be dead from frost, what happens to the seeds these weeds have produced?

An old timer once told me years ago, "One year of seeds and you can count on seven years of weeds." He was telling me that if I let the weeds in my garden mature and produce seeds, weeds would return and haunt me for seven years! Believe it or not, weed seeds can easily last in the soil for seven years.

Weeds are a farmer's or gardener's worst nightmare. They rob precious water and nutrients from garden plants. They harbor insects, diseases, and compete for light. Weeds can also cause you untold work trying to keep them under control.

The best strategy on controlling weeds: don't let them grow. Garden weeds are going to seed now, so now is the time to remove them from your garden. Pull them, hoe them, mow them or whatever; but just make sure they don't go to seed. This is also true for farmers as well. It is easy to leave a field alone once you have harvested the crop. However, it is very important to mow or spray Roundup on the rapidly growing weeds.

Three other controls of weed seeds that might be helpful:

• Weed seeds can come in when you incorporate manure in the garden. Many weed seeds pass through the animal without being digested and will be in the manure. Composting the manure will reduce the problem.

• Mulch materials can harbor weed seeds, too. Try to use sterile free mulch materials, which don't contain weed seeds.

• Many of the books you read say to dig the garden deep. Well, this is good in one way - it buries the weed seeds deep. But at the same time, deep digging brings up weed seeds that haven't seen the light for many years. Many can live 10 to 12 years and then germinate when conditions are right.

The best thing is to remove the weeds. Pull, hoe, chop, rototill, mulch, bury, burn, eat (yes, purslane is eaten by many groups), or destroy them in some manner.

Once you pull the weeds, it is best to haul them out of the garden as well!

Small Grain Production

Meeting

We will be having a Wheat Production Meeting at the Jenkins County Extension Office on Friday, October 5, at noon. Lunch will be served. Dr. Dewey Lee will be on hand to deliver the latest production information and answer any questions you may have. He will focus mainly on wheat but will answer any oat, rye, and other small grain questions. We look forward to seeing you!

The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability.