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Indicator Weeds and What They Tell About Your Soil
Indicator Weeds and What They Tell About Your Soil
I recently attended the Lawn Care Summit, a program sponsored by the Professional Landcare Network, the lawn care industry's professional organization. One of the talks centered on indicator weeds and what they tell. Often, weeds can be used as an indicator of other turf problems.
Turf will grow best in full sun and in deep, fertile, well-drained soils . Unfortunately, most lawns don't have the luxury of having the best growing conditions to develop into a healthy lawn. Shade, compacted soil, foot traffic, insect, diseases, weeds, thatch build-up and improper management are common problems of home lawns. Indicator weeds can shed light on which issues your lawn faces.
The speaker, Dr. John Sorochan from the University of Tennessee, stated, "Weeds do not cause bad turf—they are the cause of bad turf." In other words, weeds will grow because the growing conditions favor their development.
These weds indicate compacted soils:
- Virginia Buttonweed
- Prostrate Knotweed
- Puslane
- Goosegrass
These weeds indicate low soil nitrogen levels:
These weeds indicate poor drainage:
- Nutsedge
- Annual Bluegrass
These weeds indicate too much shade:
- Moss
- Violets
- Nimblewill
- Japanese Stiltgrass
These weeds indicate acidic soils:
- Sheep Sorrel
- Ground Ivy
- Cinquefoil
This weed indicate alkaline soils:
If you see these weeds growing in your lawn, it may be due to a cultural problem and not because your lawn care company is doing a poor job caring for your lawn.