Spurge Control: The New Top Priority In Your Yard By: Nick Boulton
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here are plenty of weeds that we deal with on a daily basis throughout the year, but the one that drives most crazy is spurge. Spurge starts off as a very innocent looking plant. If not dealt with quickly it can become very unsightly and can easily take over your garden or yard before you know it. Spurge is a summer annual weed, but in warm climates it can begin growing as early as February and grow all the way into September and October! After about roughly 5 weeks of warm weather, spurge can produce flowers and begin dropping multiple seeds. The seeds will need sunlight and warm temperatures to germinate, but if they are buried more than 1/2 inch deep, they will not be able to sprout. As long as warm weather continues, seeds will continue to sprout and make new plants. As weather cools, the unsprouted seeds will lie dormant to await the following year. Getting rid of spurge is not an easy task. It takes time, energy and continued persistence, just as any weed does! The main root on some types of spurge can grow up to 2 feet deep. Small spurge plants can
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be difficult to spot, especially if it is in the grass or below the gravel bed. A good strategy is to take a daily walk through your yard and look really hard for these weeds. As soon as you spot the tiny weed growing you can gently pull it out. Each of these long strands of spurge carries tons of weeds, so be mindful to not spread your headache even more. You can also use mulch to kill it. Smother spurge with 3-4 inches of coarse mulch. Over time, your mulch will break down and it will need to be replaced. Another natural way that you could try to get rid of this weed is pouring boiling water on them. If you are fine with using pesticides in your property, I would recommend Round-Up or Spurge Power to get rid of it. Just make sure that it will not over spray on to other plants such as flowers, shrubs, or trees as this will kill them. Lawn Doctor is a good resource and their trained technicians can help get your yard to where you want it. Good luck to you on your yardcare advendtures and I hope this information helps in your own personal battle within your yards to help get those weeds in check.
