Quick Reference Guide to Combat Weeds, Disease and Insects in Your Garden.  by:  Hege Crowton

By Guest Contributor

12-27-2006

In order to keep your garden in the best condition possible it is important to be able to detect and treat any weeds, diseases or insect infestations. The following tables should serve as a valuable reference for the most common problems.

Weeds:

Type Description Control

BUCKTHORN Flowers in summer; withers in fall. Cut out, hand pull or use 2.4-D.

CLOVER Considered weed by those who object to white flower in lawn.
Repeated doses of 4-XD, MCP or other chemicals.

CHICKWEED Spreading broadleaf with small white flower. Resists chemicals in cool weather; repeated treatments in warm weather.

CRAB GRASS Worst weed; spreads by seeds; annual; smooth and hairy types. Potassium cyanide, PMA or PC (follow directions exactly; PC browns lawn for 2 or 3 weeks).

DANDELION Broad, ragged leaf; yellow flower.
Hand pull and 2,4-D.

FOXTAIL Annual; over 60 types; clustered seed-head with green-yellow bristle.
Prevent seed production. Collect clippings and burn.

GOOSE GRASS Annual; flat, 3-fmgered-seed stem arrangement. Appears in hot weather.
Hand cut or use commercial drop of sulphuric acid.

KNOTWEED Hot-weather weed; wiry stem; little leaf growth. Hoe; hand pull. Resists chemicals but succumbs to many treatments 2.4-D.

PLANTAIN Broadleaf; tall seed stalk. 2,4-D.

QUACK GRASS Spreading, coarse growth; ashy-green stalks. Smother with paper or tar mulch to starve roots. Chemicals kill only top growth.

WILD ONION Deeply imbedded bulb-lets. Put lime in soil. Use chemicals when plants appear in spring. Try 2.4-D. (Hand pulling won’t work.)

(Hege Crowton is an established expert copywriter. She is known for doing in-depth research before writing her articles).