Winter annuals—including henbit,
deadnettle, and common chickweed, plus garlic mustard,
yellow rocket, and other wild mustards—have been quite
colorful this spring, ranging from white to yellow to
purple.
A complete understanding of the life cycle of winter annuals
is important when deciding on control measures. Winter
annuals germinate in the fall, overwinter as seedlings,
flower in the spring, then die in late spring as
temperatures rise. If you have a problem with winter annuals
this year, make a note of it and consider applying a
preemergence herbicide this fall before they germinate
again. Many products labeled for landscape use (including
Barricade, Pendulum, Predict, and Gallery) will control
winter annuals before they germinate.
If you are not willing to wait for natural dieback and if
mechanical control is not feasible, you can control these
weeds with postemergence herbicides such as Roundup Pro or
Finale.
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