January isn't the most active month of the year in our lawns and landscapes. But that doesn't mean there's nothing going on underground, and not all of it is good. This blog goes over what's happening now and how it could lead to a weedy spring.

Bluegrass, Chickweed, Henbit, Cop Clover, Lawn Burweed, and wild Geranium are common winter annual weeds.

These and others germinate from seeds during fall as the soil temperature cools and the day length shortens. The seedlings usually go unnoticed but continue to grow.

In spring, the soil temperature warms, and these previously inconspicuous weeds put on a growth spurt.

During February and March, the winter weeds become noticeable in our lawns and landscapes. They quickly begin producing flowers, followed by thousands of tiny seeds. By late spring or early summer, the parent plants die. But they've left behind generations of seeds- it's the cycle of life for these winter weeds.

Now that you know what's happening, it's time to read about the weeds that may be setting up shop in your yard. 

What's growing
Bluegrass can be hard to identify until there's a lot of it. The weed grows in clumps, has smooth leaves with clear lines on both sides of the blades. If you have a Bluegrass issue now, it's a little late to do much about it except pull it out. This newest crop of it geminated months ago, grows now, and will die off when it gets warm. Bluegrass is something that you need to treat before the seeds pop off in the spring and summer.

If you see small yellow flowers on your turf, you may have a problem with Black Medic. This weed can form a dark mat of dark green leaves over your grass in no time. Black Medic thrives in compacted soil. One way to make to control it is to aerate your yard.

Common Chickweed is something that you might want to get used to if you notice in your yard; the seeds have been known to stay viable for a decade. This lawn and landscape nuisance has oval leaves, white flowers, with tiny hairs. Chickweed grows in thick patches and usually in areas with drainage issues.

If you have weed worries this winter, contact us at ELT Landscape. Remember, the best way to prevent weeks is proper maintenance, and we're the landscape maintenance experts.