Catherine Schaeffer, DanSco Realty Group
How is it possible to go to sleep one night with your yard looking pristine and lovely and wake up the next day with 12-inch weeds in your yard? Sun and water are the simple answers.
The sun-drenched days and picturesque landscapes of SunBird come with a little hitch: the stubborn, unwelcome growth of weeds. Weeds don’t just diminish the beauty of your yard and community. They also compete with your plants for essential nutrients, water, and sunlight. Frequently, weeds are confused with wildflowers and look great for a day or two and then dry off and seed into an aggressive, invasive nuisance. Another frustrating concern with desert weeds is that different weeds grow in different seasons. We have so many different weeds in each season, it just seems to roll from weed to weed, and we do not have a “weedless” season. We do not get an off-season from weeds!
Managing weeds yourself can be done. Here are a few tips:
1. Buy a generic herbicide, walk your yard, and spray every weed you see, then wait.
2. Plan to respray again in a few days/weeks.
3. You can use a vinegar, salt, and dish soap solution, which is non-toxic and better for our environment. The acidity of vinegar kills broadleaf weeds, the salt destroys the root systems, and dish soap makes it stick. If you want the recipe, just reach out to me.
4. Get down on your hands and knees in your rocks and pull them up by the roots.
Don’t be surprised if herbicides that are effective in other more mild climates don’t work here, especially during the hot months. Low-desert weeds have developed characteristics and growth habits that allow them to survive in hot and dry conditions.
There is no silver bullet. There is no single product or option that can control all of the weeds we have in Arizona, especially as we are getting more and more invasive species.
But here’s the good news: Keeping your yard pristine and free of these pesky plants takes a little work or a simple phone call to your favorite vendor who can help you with pre-emergent and post-emergent spraying. Need a recommendation for a vendor? Just reach out. I am happy to share.
Would you like a bit more information? This link takes you to the University of Arizona for a complete picture identification system: acis.cals.arizona.edu/pest-identification/weeds.