By Barbara Pleasant

Photo by Justin

Carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata) is an expert at colonizing moist places where shrubs, trees, and the lawn come together. Seeds germinate in late spring, and warm weather brings a rush of long, sticky stems studded with whorls of three to six leaves and small starry white flowers. Stems stay low to the ground in sun but may form 12-inch-tall mats in shade. Pull young plants, or use a sharp knife to slice them off at the soil line. Mulch to discourage carpetweed in beds and edgings. In lawns this weed is gradually crowded out by thick, healthy turf.

Weed Control Techniques

Pulling. Most young weeds can be pulled from the soil. They will slide out most easily if you pull them when the soil is wet. Getting the root up is crucial, so think of the main stem as the root's handle, and grasp it as close to the soil line as you can. If you find that the weeds are breaking off at the crown as you pull, slip a kitchen fork, dandelion weeder, or similar tool under the weed, and pry and twist as you pull it up. Weeds that have taproots, such as dandelion and plantain, usually must be pried out. A flexible pair of waterproof gloves will keep your hands comfortable as you weed, and it's good to have a nice sitting pad, too. Let pulled weeds bake in the sun for a day or so before composting them. If pulled weeds are holding mature seeds, compost them separately in a hot, moist pile before using this compost in the garden.

Mulching. Mulch that's more than 2 inches thick can deprive most weed seeds of the light they need to germinate and grow. In vegetable and flower gardens, you can Mulch with wheat straw (which has fewer weed seeds than hay), chopped leaves, grass clippings, or many other organic materials. Where weeds are numerous, try covering the soil with four to six sheets of newspaper. Then cover the newspapers with 2 to 3 inches of organic Mulch. Pieces of scrap carpeting make a good weed-suppressing Mulch to use in pathways between rows. When Mulching beneath shrubs and trees, place a sheet of landscape fabric over the soil, then cover it with 3 inches of organic Mulch. An edging (a 4- to 6-inch-wide strip of rot-proof material driven into the ground vertically) of brick, stone, or metal will help the Mulch stay put, halt invasion by creeping weeds, and make the bed look neat and well groomed.

Crowding plants. When plants grow so close together that the ground between them is shaded, sun-seeking weeds, such as pigweed and purslane, don't have a chance. Use double rows rather than single ones whenever possible in your vegetable garden. In flower beds, place flowers in closely spaced groups. As plants need more room to grow, thin them gradually so weeds get only a fleeting chance at good light. Plants with broad leaves, such as squash and cabbage, do a good job of crowding out weeds. Vigorous lawn grasses that form a tight turf naturally crowd out weeds. To keep turf tight, apply a slow-release organic fertilizer during your lawn's most active season of new growth. The recommended cutting height varies with different species of grass, but with any type of grass it's a good weed-preventive strategy to mow high and often. Long blades of grass often do a good job of shading out germinating weed seeds.

Image courtesy of David Liebman

Other Broadleaf Weeds
Black Medic
Weed info for Black Medic
Broadleaf Plantain
Weed info for Broadleaf Plantain
Buckhorn Plantain
Weed info for Buckhorn Plantain
Buttonweed
Weed info for Buttonweed
Canada Thistle
Weed info for Canada Thistle
Carpetweed
Weed info for Carpetweed
Chickweed
Weed info for Chickweed
Cinquefoil
Weed info for Cinquefoil
Corn Speedwell
Weed info for Corn Speedwell
Curly Dock
Weed info for Curly Dock
Dandelion
Weed info for Dandelion
English Daisy
Weed info for English Daisy
Ground Ivy
Weed info for Ground Ivy
Hawkweed
Weed info for Hawkweed
Henbit
Weed info for Henbit
Hop Clover
Weed info for Hop Clover
Horsetail
Weed info for Horsetail
Indian Mockstrawberry
Weed info for Indian Mockstrawberry
Lambsquarters
Weed info for Lambsquarters
Mallow
Weed info for Mallow
Pigweed
Weed info for Pigweed
Prickly Lettuce
Weed info for Prickly Lettuce
Prostrate Knotweed
Weed info for Prostrate Knotweed
Purslane
Weed info for Purslane
Ragweed
Weed info for Ragweed
Shepherd's Purse
Weed info for Shepherd's Purse
Smartweed
Weed info for Smartweed
Sorrel
Weed info for Sorrel
White Clover
Weed info for White Clover
Wild Garlic
Weed info for Wild Garlic
Wild Violets
Weed info for Wild Violets
Woodsorrel
Weed info for Woodsorrel
Yarrow
Weed info for Yarrow

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