Chemical Weedkillers & Flowers

The Types of Weeds

• Weeds have life cycles just like other plants. The most common cycles for weeds found within floral and plant beds are summer annual, winter annual and perennial. Summer annuals start appearing in the spring and grow through the summer. Common summer annual weeds include crab grass, carpetweed, purslane, morning glory, spurge and pigweed. Winter annual weeds start germination in early fall and die come winter. Common winter annuals are henbit, hairy bittercress, annual sow thistle, bluegrass and common chickweed. Perennial weeds are often the most difficult to control. These weeds include varieties such as dandelions, curly dock, pokeweed, red sorrel, ground ivy and buckhorn.

Perennial Weedkillers

• The systemic, or translocated, weedkiller attacks the foliage down to the roots of the targeted plant, which makes it best for perennial weeds. Systemic weedkillers target only the weed you apply it to; therefore, you can apply it close to delicate flowers and plants without harm. Glyphosate, which comes in liquid and granular form, is a common systemic weedkiller. When using this type of weedkiller, it is very important not to allow the herbicide to come into contact with neighboring plants or it will destroy them too.

Annual Weedkillers

• Contact weedkillers are effective for annual weeds because they destroy the exposed green of the weed with a powerful chemical. Unfortunately, contact weedkillers only kill what they come into contact with, which means that the roots of the weeds are not destroyed in the process. The natural fatty acid in organic contact weedkillers sticks to the leaves of weeds and does not drain into the soil, thus making this a good option for organic growers.

Nonchemical Weedkillers

• You may want to avoid chemicals in your flower beds altogether. Though homemade weedkillers are not as effective at killing weeds down to the roots, they can be effective on annual weeds. A common nonchemical weed treatment contains 1/2 gallon white vinegar, 1/2 cup salt and 1 tbsp. dish soap. This mixture is sprayed directly onto the weed, but you can also apply it using a rag if you are afraid of getting it on delicate flowers.