Tree care Tip: Identifying Black Medic, Broadleaf Plantain & Curly Dock

by on May 17, 2012

Many homeowners confuse black medic with white clover because of its three leaflet clover-like leaves that make them appear very similar. Tree care professionals say you are likely to see this weed in your lawn in the months between May and September. Unlike other weeds that stick out like a sore thumb, black medic is low-growing and generates bunches of tiny, vividly yellow flowers that are noticeable in the late spring and early summer. Tree care technicians say their stems are slightly hairy and they grow in dry soil that is high in phosphorous.

Another irritating weed that homeowners are likely to spot in the early spring and be hounded by until September without professional tree care intervention is the broadleaf plantain. This weed is grayish-green in color and begins its lifecycle in mid-spring. The egg-shaped weed has wavy-edged leaves that grown near to the ground. In the early summer, tree care experts say the seed stalks will begin to rise and will last through early fall. Unfortunately for a tree care professional without the right expertise and weed control program, broadleaf plantains can overtake desirable lawn grasses by suffocating them. They key to eliminating this bothersome weed is to eliminate the seeds; tree care agents say this plant grows from seeds and re-sprouting roots.

Curly dock is another incessant weed that pops up in lawns. This weed has lance-shaped leaves which turn a reddish purple color in the summer and fall. A narrow spike emerges from the center of the plant where small greenish flowers occur. Tree care technicians say you are more likely to see this weed during bouts of hot, dry weather. As the grass suffers, curly dock thrives.

Don’t let weeds be a drain on your lawn; contact your local tree care authority for a rigid and effective weed control program.

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