Weeds - Why So Many? (5025)

Gardeners often ask why they have so many weeds? Where do the majority of weeds come from? From the seeds we release back to the garden. Weed seeds can blow in or wash in with surface water. They can be dropped by birds or other wildlife. They are also brought in with soils and organic matter (like manures). The majority of the weeds come from seed unsuspectingly planted by the gardener.

Three common weeds in Minnesota are especially prolific:

- Common pigweed has a long, reddish taproot. It produces one hundred and seventeen thousand, four hundred seeds per plant. That means 9 pigweeds can plant over 1 million seeds. These seeds are viable for 40 years.

- Purslane has pinkish, fleshy stems and leaves. It can produce fifty-two thousand, three hundred seeds per plant. Purslane seeds are viable for 25 years.

- Do you wonder about dandelions? They typically produce only fifteen thousand seeds per plant.

What can you do? Don't let weeds go to seed. A garden which is kept weed free will have significantly fewer weeds each year.

Each time the garden is tilled, a new crop of weed seeds are brought to the surface. They're ready to germinate. Suppress weed germination by avoiding unnecessary tilling. A surface mulch also helps suppress seed germination.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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