> Organic Weed Control

Poison Ivy Plants (19) Gardening Books @ Compost and Mulch (8)

Weed Pictures
Use these weed pictures to aid you in your identification efforts. My weed pictures are supplemented by links to additional resources (for noxious weeds, information on control measures).

Weed Identification
Weed identification is a helpful first step in control efforts against unwanted vines and other pests. In some cases, consulting a weed identification guide may even alter your desire for eradication of a plant.

Weed Control Without Chemicals
You can accomplish weed control without chemicals. These resources show readers how to practice effective weed control and still have organic yards -- without chemicals.

Pictures of Poison Ivy
I offer a poison ivy photo gallery here for plant identification purposes. My pictures of poison ivy show the weed at different stages of development and in different habitats, aiding your weed-control efforts against this landscaping menace.

Poison Sumac Pictures
Consult these poison sumac pictures for identification purposes. My poison sumac pictures include closeup photos of the shrub's plant parts.

Edible Weeds
In some cases, "nuisances" you face in your landscape maintenance could just as easily be viewed as "edible weeds." The most efficient and effective control measure against these edible weeds is simply to harvest and eat them, rather than fightin them. Such an approach perhaps represents the ultimate "natural weed control."

How to Install Landscape Fabrics
Landscape fabrics are a high-tech solution for weed control. Landscape fabrics suppress weeds without depriving the soil of air, water and nutrients.

Organic Weed Control Using Soil Solarization, Landscape Fabric
Soil solarization is an organic weed-control method for killing weeds, before they even sprout! You would use soil solarization as a means of killing weeds (i.e., their seeds) when starting from scratch on a plot of land that you wish to cover with landscape fabric and garden organically.

Weed Control of Poison Ivy Plants
Index to the material on my site dealing with poison ivy plants, poison oak and poison sumac. Use the links provided to navigate to information on the identification, eradication and treatment of poison ivy plants, oak and sumac. Both chemical and organic weed control methods are discussed.

Removal of Dandelion Weeds
Pictures of dandelion weeds to help you identify them, plus tips on their removal or control. Killing dandelions with herbicides as a removal or control method is best done in fall.

Ragweed Allergy and Giant Ragweed Weed Control
Getting rid of ragweed allergy begins with identification, which makes getting rid of the allergy-causing weeds possible. This article offers pictures of giant ragweed, as well as further information on these noxious weeds.

Weed Identification: Common Ragweed, Cause of Hay Fever
Fall hay fever sufferers have common ragweed and its big brother, giant ragweed to blame for their hay fever. Through the pictures provided here you can undertake weed identification of this nuisance plant and eradicate common ragweed from your yard.

Getting Rid of Crabgrass
Using preemergent herbicides is the best way of killing crabgrass, and killing the weed begins with proper identification, to which end I provide pictures of crabgrass. By the way, an organic preemergent herbicide is corn gluten. But the best way to achieve crabgrass control overall is simply to have healthy lawn grass -- it will compete successfully with crabgrass and crowd it out.

Mulches - First Line of Defence in Weed Control
Mulch is your first line of defence against weeds. Knowing when and how to mulch is knowledge fundamental to low-maintenance landscaping. Practice weed control before weeds even have a chance to emerge, by mulching areas where the soil is exposed.

How to Get Rid of Poison Oak Plants
If you live on the West Coast of the U.S. and you're active outside, it behooves you to learn how to get rid of poison oak plants.

Recycling Leaves for Mulching
Find out how to manage all those leaves you rake up in autumn. This article argues that you should establish separate bins for compost on the one hand and, on the other, mulch.

Consumer Product Reviews on Weed Control Devices
Read my weed-control consumer product reviews for some advice before you make purchases. Numerous types of weed control products are on the market. My goal in composing these consumer product reviews is to help you determine which products best meet your needs, before buying.

Poison Ivy Pictures
The first step in killing poison ivy, whether through chemical or organic weed control, is identifying it. The poison ivy pictures in this article should help. Poison oak and poison sumac also described. Both organic control methods and use of herbicides is discussed. As an antidote to poison ivy rash, another weed can be helpful: jewelweed.

Japanese Knotweed Removal by Glyphosate Herbicide Injection
Japanese knotweed removal is no easy task, so homeowners should be aware of all the weed-control options available to them to remove these noxious weeds. An interesting approach to Japanese knotweed removal is by glyphosate herbicide injection, an alternative to using glyphosate as a foliar spray.

Japanese Knotweed
Japanese knotweed (polygonum cuspidatum) is a bamboo-like invasive weed that has spread like wildfire across North America and the U.K. Japanese knotweed is now a common eyesore in yards. Learn about the preferred habitats of Japanese knotweed. Eradication tactics presented, with an emphasis on the use of tarps. Japanese knotweed can be beaten, but only with care, flexibility and persistence.

Selecting the Proper Mulch
The functions and characteristics of mulch are as various as the types of mulches available. This article compares the different types of mulches, employing a consistent set of criteria. A distinction is made between mulches for acid-loving plants and mulches for plants that prefer an alkaline soil. Plastic-sheet mulching and stone mulches are also considered.

Tips From Japanese Knotweed Specialists
Specialist, Jim Glaister read my article on the removal of Japanese knotweed, or 'fleeceflower' ('fleece flower') and offered some interesting feedback. Glaister works for one of the UK’s leading Japanese knotweed specialists.

Creeping Charlie: Invasive Lawn Weed, Aromatic Herb
If you've tried to eradicate creeping charlie from your landscape, you may think you know this lawn weed well. But this plant has a long and rich history of usage that preceded its notoriety as an invasive weed. Discover creeping charlie weed's use as a medicinal herb and a brewing ingredient.

Sumac Identification
Sumac (sumach) is considered a "weed" by many, but it's a good weed. Don't overlook the fall foliage potential of the various sumacs. This article distinguishes poison sumac from the non-poisonous sumacs, and details the many uses to which sumac has been put from Roman times to the present.

How to Get Rid of Moss in Your Lawn
This is mainly a profile of moss as a groundcover that can be quite useful in landscaping. But I do provide tips for eradicating it from lawns, for the benefit of those who consider it a "lawn weed." The growth of moss on lawns is a telltale sign of what a lawn is lacking; thus, "lawn weed" or not, it serves a valuable function (if you know how to read the signs...).

Purslane: Edible Weed Too Good to Eradicate
Edible purslane, a common lawn and garden weed, is identified in this article. Purslane's use as a gourmet food is discussed, supplemented by a recipe link. And purslane's health benefits are detailed as well. Think twice before killing this edible weed!

Bittersweet Vine: A Bittersweet Decision for Landscapers?
The vine called "bittersweet" running rampant in the U.S. is just one of three weeds by that name. Oriental bittersweet’s great for attracting birds and for home accents. But is this weed too invasive to cultivate on the landscape? To kill bittersweet or not to kill bittersweet: that is the question.

Shamrock, Clover, Rethinking the Lawn: Is Clover a "Weed"?
Until the 1950s, clover was included in mixed bags of lawn seed and considered an attractive, low-maintenance ground cover. So why are herbicides now being sold to kill it? Hear the arguments in favor of re-thinking the grass lawn and against clover's identification as a "weed." If it's a weed, clover's a "good" weed.

Treatment for Poison Ivy Rash
If you're already suffering from poison ivy rash, reading articles on the identification and eradication of poison ivy may not be a priority for you right now. Your concern is the treatment for poison ivy rash, the subject of this article.

Earth Day Celebration
The Earth Day celebration is virtually the holiday of environmentalism. Find out what you can do around the yard to be in keeping with the Earth Day celebration spirit, including practicing natural weed control.

Yellow Dock
Yellow dock (also referred to as "curled," "curly" or "curley" dock) is considered an invasive weed in some states of the U.S. However, yellow dock juice (from the leaves) will alleviate the sting from stinging nettles, making it a good home remedy to be aware of.

Weeding Strategies for Avoiding Back Strain
"Weed control is not only a matter of pulling, but also of strategy," notes Anne Asher, About's Guide to Back and Neck Pain. Follow Anne's strategies to reduce the strain on one's back often caused by weeding.

Weeding Your Garden Without Back Strain
A pictorial guide to safe weeding from Anne Asher, About's Guide to Back and Neck Pain. Use Anne's pictures to determine if you are currently weeding in a body position conducive to keeping your back healthy.

Herbicides: Which Weeds They Kill, How to Apply Them
Examples of Herbicide Products Available for Homeowner Use, compiled by the North Carolina State Extension. The herbicides are categorized according to which weeds they kill (e.g., crabgrass, brush, poison oak, honeysuckle, kudzu), and when they are applied to weedy areas (i.e., post-emergent vs. pre-emergent herbicide treatment).

Lawn Weed Identification
Click the weed links on this Web site to get a closer look at the weeds that invade your lawn. Identification is the first step in weed control. Crabgrass, quackgrass, thistles, plantains, chickweed, dandelions and other lawn and garden weeds are shown in photos and described.

Kudzu Vine: Japanese Killer Weed of the Southeastern U.S.
Freed from the insect pests that kept it under control in its native Japan, Kudzu vine is out of control in the southeastern U.S. It's a story that parallels Japanese knotweed's spread. Discover the details on this weed pest: history, uses and eradication attempts.