Difficult Weed Control

The competitive edge: Why weeds can grow just about anywhere

It’s lucky that children don’t actually grow like weeds. If they did, the world would have been overpopulated long ago. Weeds have one of the most perfect physiologies of any living organism. Their genetically programmed will to live is extremely strong and it presents itself as competitive nature. Every atom of a weed assumes that some other living being wants its light, water, nutrition and space and that it needs to do everything in its power (which happens to be a lot) to beat its competitors. These characteristics create difficult weed control situations.

 Reasons for difficult weed control practices:

•Guick maturity and germination: Under certain fairly common conditions, some weeds’ seeds can germinate in less than 90 minutes. Not hours, not days. Minutes. Weeds also reach quick maturity – think of a dandelion that goes from bud to full flower to seed within a couple days. And those attributes are just the tip of the weed iceberg in difficult weed control situations.
• Rapid Seedling growth
•Short vegetative period prior to flowering
•Fast and high growth
•Rapid development of exploitative root system
•Has ability to compete by special means (rosette formation, allelopathy)
•High seed production
•Long period of seed production
•Short and long distance dispersal of seeds
Overall, weeds are not picky about conditions. With good soil and plenty of sun and water, weeds will dominate their habitat. But weeds have been evolutionarily engineered to survive under any conditions. They conduct photosynthesis in very little sun, their roots absorb any available nutrients quickly and cross-pollination is easily accomplished. What’s more, weed plants and seeds can remain dormant for decades of poor conditions and recover as soon as conditions improve.
If you have a difficult weed control problem on your property and want a competitive edge against the world’s best survivors, contact SprayTech, Colorado commercial and residential weed-spraying specialists, at 720-248-0000.