Printable Version PDF Turfgrass Weed Management - 1999 Tim R. Murphy UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA Lambert B. McCarty CLEMSON UNIVERSITY INTRODUCTION A weed can simply be defined as any plant growing out of place or growing where it is not wanted. For example, tall fescue may be considered a weed when grown in a stand of bermudagrass or Kentucky bluegrass, but it is desirable when grown as a monoculture. Reasons for classifying a plant as a weed are numerous. In addition to being unsightly, weeds compete with turfgrasses for sunlight, soil nutrients, soil moisture, and growing space. Weeds also act as hosts for pests such as plant pathogens, nematodes and insects. Certain weeds cause allergic reactions in humans due to their pollen or their volatile chemicals. Probably the most undesirable characteristic of weeds in turf is the disruption of the uniformity of a turf. Different leaf width and/or shape, different growth habit, and/or different color contribute to unsightliness. For example, many broadleaf weeds such as dandelion, plantains, and pennywort have leaf widths different from turf. Goosegrass, smutgrass, and dallisgrass tend to form clumps or patches which disrupt turf uniformity. In addition, large clumps are difficult to mow effectively which increases maintenance problems. Turf uniformity also is disrupted by the presence of weed seedheads. Annual bluegrass, for example, is largely unnoticed in cool-season turfgrasses until numerous seedheads appear in late winter and spring. | |
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