How to Garden with Mugwort

Maintain healthy turf and garden areas. Growing areas that receive sufficient fertilizer and irrigation will produce healthy plants that are capable of crowding out weeds like mugwort.

Control mugwort infestations with a postemergence broadleaf herbicide, such as glyphosate or dicambia. Common trade names include Roundup, Touchdown, Banvel, Clarity and Vanquish.

Apply herbicides directly to the leaf surface of mugwort weeds, taking care to ensure that the product does not contact other ornamental or vegetable plants.

Use preemergence herbicides to prevent mugwort seeds and rhizomes from growing into mature plants. Apply granular dichlobenil-based herbicides, such as Norosac, Casoron, Barrier or Dyclomec, at a rate of 6 pounds per acre of growing area. Applications in fall will suppress mugwort growth well into the following spring.

Remove mugwort weeds manually, as soon as you notice them. Remove as much of the root mass as possible when pulling.

Treat garden beds with solarization before planting. This will help prevent the emergence of mugwort later in the growing season. Till your garden beds, then cover them with clear plastic sheeting and leave in place for six to eight weeks. The trapped solar energy heats the soil to temperatures that are lethal for weed seeds and rhizomes.

Clean your garden equipment after each use. Spades, trowels, tillers and tractors can all spread weeds from one area to another if they are not cleaned after use.

Apply cardboard or landscape fabric and mulch to deprive weeds of light and air, preventing them from emerging. Lay down thick cardboard or landscape fabric over areas of unplanted soil, then cover with a thick layer of organic mulch, such as wood chips.