Weeds aren't just nuisances, they're messengers. Here's what they can tell you
Got weeds in your lawn? Me too. And although it's tempting to reach for a spray bottle, that shouldn't be our first impulse.
Believe it or not, weeds aren't just freeloaders crashing our garden party. They're messengers with important information that requires our attention. We just have to learn to speak their language.
What common lawn weeds tell us
A dandelion popping up in the lawn is there because the soil is infertile and the grass is too thin. Fertilize and sow seeds for a fuller turf, and the opportunists will move on.
Black medic is a demure, clover-like weed with small yellow flowers that's holding an invisible bullhorn, shouting, 'What's a girl got to do to get some nitrogen over here?' Check your soil's nutrients and fertilize accordingly.
Both broadleaf and buckhorn plantain won't grow unless the soil is compacted. Core aerate the lawn in spring and fall to allow water and air to circulate through it freely.
Likewise, prostrate knotweed thrives in high-traffic, compacted areas. If you have kids or a large dog running laps in the yard — or if passersby consistently cut through a portion of your lawn — chances are you have made its acquaintance. Again, core aeration is your best bet. Do it several times a year and incorporate compost to create an inhospitable environment.
Both mouse-ear and common chickweed flourish in shady spots, so cut back nearby tree branches to allow more sun to reach the soil. The lawn will appreciate the extra light, too. Common chickweed also loves cool weather, but that is out of our control.
Clover: One of the good guys
I'm conflicted about telling you how to get rid of clover, because I don't believe you should. I actually mixed it into my lawn deliberately, and I'm not alone.
In fact, years ago, clover was a standard component of American grass seed mixes — it added a natural source of nitrogen to the soil that reduced or eliminated the need for fertilizer. But when the first weed killers were marketed to homeowners in the 1950s, clover was suddenly villainized. I wonder why.
Clover is a good guy that shows up to help when soil is lacking water or nutrients. But if you really want it gone, water and fertilize the lawn regularly.
And try to accept some imperfections. Nobody needs a flawless lawn — just a healthy one.
___
Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.
___
For more AP gardening stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/gardening.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
6 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Iranian missile fired after US strikes causes heavy damage but few injuries in Tel Aviv
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Hours after the U.S. struck three Iranian nuclear sites, Iran launched more than 40 missiles toward Israel on Sunday, wounding 23 people and destroying apartment buildings and homes in three cities. At an impact site in Tel Aviv, the blast had sheared off the face of a multistory residential building and damaged several others — including a nursing home — in a radius of hundreds of meters (yards). But few people were wounded, as many residents had been evacuated and others made it to bomb shelters. Deputy Mayor Haim Goren, who assisted at the scene, said it was nevertheless 'miraculous' that more people were not hurt. Relatives and health aides helped residents — many with wheelchairs or walkers — to leave the nursing home, where windows were blown out up to the top on the 11th floor. 'It's like a typhoon came through my apartment,' said Ofer Berger, who lives near the impact site on the seventh floor of a high-rise. 'All of the apartments in this area are destroyed,' he said. Emergency services said one person was moderately wounded by shrapnel in Sunday's missile barrage while dozens of others were lightly injured. Berger said he hoped the war with Iran would end soon. 'Most of the tit-for-tat strikes like this end with a lot of tears,' he said. Residents sat with their pets and suitcases outside the damaged buildings. One person sat next to a shopping cart filled with Buddha statues and a child's bicycle. Families gathered what they could and stepped gingerly around piles of glass and twisted metal. Dozens of volunteers from an organization called 'One Heart' showed up to help residents salvage their belongings. Strikes have displaced more than 9,000 people from their homes since the start of the war, according to the Israeli military. Missiles have damaged 240 residential buildings, including more than 2,000 individual apartments. Mira Goshen, 79, said her entire apartment was destroyed. 'My mamad was shaking like a leaf, and I thought it was the end of the world,' Goshen said, referring to the reinforced safe rooms that are required in all new construction. She said the shelter had saved her life. In some areas where entire homes were flattened, the reinforced rooms stood intact. Goshen's pet bird, Chica, survived an 11-story drop when her cage was knocked off the balcony by the explosion. A rescuer retrieved her, and she was trembling and burrowing into Goshen's neck hours later as Goshen spoke with neighbors and authorities outside her building. Hours later, municipality workers worked to sweep up the the shattered glass and remove debris, while others handed out sandwiches and water at an aid station. Several businesses on a nearby street had their windows blown out, and the stores were littered with broken glass amid baked goods, children's clothes and books. Workers at a supermarket stacked crates of fruit in front of a shattered front window and opened for shoppers, who packed the aisles. Residents appeared calm in the aftermath of Sunday's strike, but Goren said the nightly barrages, the frantic running to shelters and the close confines inside them are taking a toll. 'There's a lot of stress and pressure building, lots of nerves,' the deputy mayor said. Mutual aid groups are working around the clock to match families in need with shelters and support, and the municipality is working to convert parking garages, bus stations and train stations to temporary shelters. Goshen said she was more focused on where she would go next than on the U.S. strikes on Iran and their aftermath. 'I'm far away from politics, and what I think, it doesn't matter actually, because they don't listen to ordinary people,' she said.
Toronto Star
a day ago
- Toronto Star
Ukrainians celebrate midsummer traditions with song, dance and fire
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Hundreds of Ukrainians observed the longest day of the year on Saturday with a midsummer celebration of some of their oldest traditions, a display of cultural perseverance in a nation threatened by war. Rooted in Ukraine's ancient past of Slavic paganism the event, Ivana Kupala, features rituals and symbolism to honor the summer solstice, related to fertility, nature, purity and renewal — values that predate the region's Christianization at the end of the first millennium.
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ukrainians celebrate midsummer traditions with song, dance and fire
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Hundreds of Ukrainians observed the longest day of the year on Saturday with a midsummer celebration of some of their oldest traditions, a display of cultural perseverance in a nation threatened by war. Rooted in Ukraine's ancient past of Slavic paganism the event, Ivana Kupala, features rituals and symbolism to honor the summer solstice, related to fertility, nature, purity and renewal — values that predate the region's Christianization at the end of the first millennium. At the open-air National Museum of Folk Architecture and Ukrainian Life on the outskirts of Kyiv, participants in embroidered shirts and blouses strolled among thatched-roof cottages, wooden churches and windmills dating to the 18th and 19th centuries. Women and girls wore vinoks — wreaths made from wildflowers — as they took part in folk dances, games and craft workshops. Viktoria Phi, a master of folk art at the museum, taught visitors to weave the colorful flowered headdresses. She said that Ivana Kupala, which also has variations in other Slavic countries from the Czech Republic to Bulgaria to Russia, was a 'small oasis' in the war in Ukraine, where people can 'walk and enjoy nature, architecture, songs and dances.' 'It's most popular among young people, and I am very happy when a family comes with young children,' she said. As the sun began to set over the wheat fields and wildflower meadows, hundreds formed a circle around a pyramid of logs. When the bonfire was lit, flames climbed into the twilight sky as music swelled and people spun around the pyre hand in hand. In a purification rite, some leapt over the burning embers. With Russia's war in Ukraine now in its fourth year and aerial attacks on cities intensifying, for some the observance of old folk customs holds deeper meaning. Saba Alekseev, 25, said the event gave her a chance to 'breathe some fresh air without thinking about (the war), for some time at least, because it's impossible to put it out of your mind under shelling.' For 18-year-old Sofia Orel, it was a reminder that 'it is crucial to support Ukrainian culture and traditions, especially since the war started, because this way we preserve what is ours.' 'As I am weaving a wreath, I'm thinking that I will teach my daughter how to do it,' she said. 'These are our traditions and they have to be passed on and honored.'
