Weeds are wreaking havoc in gardens this year

This must be the year of the weed. My yard is looking like a jungle of new tumbleweeds.

I have pulled, hoed, sprayed, and they keep coming.

Not only that, but last year's tumbleweeds are still blowing into the yard, a little slower pace than before, but still rolling in.

I have a huge pile to burn again, and each time I collect a heap ready to ignite, I keep thinking that soon they will stop and this can be the last burn of the season. No such luck.

We are dealing with both of the major tumbleweeds - kochia (Kochia scoparia) and Russian thistle (Salsola iberica).

Russian thistle has needle-like, fleshy leaves that feel soft when tiny, but it grows to become a rounded, bushy, many-branched plant up to 3 feet tall that is very bristly.

This is the one that requires you to wear gloves when picking up the dried tumblers or pulling the larger living plants.

Kochia is not prickly. Its height is from 1 foot to 6 feet tall. You will not find as many dry kochia tumblers as you will Russian thistle because the dead kochia plant is very brittle.

Anywhere it is stopped - shrub, tree, fence line, etc. - it breaks into many small pieces. So you will find lots of little kochia plants growing in those places as well as in the open.

Either of these intruders, which are both annuals, are easily controlled when tiny, either by spraying, hoeing or pulling.

Control is harder as they grow larger. Mowing will not kill them off, but will prevent them from seeding - certainly a worthy goal.

Groundcherries are numerous this year, too. This weed is a ground hugger with oblong, pointed leaves and round, pale blue flowers. When mature, you will find papery "lanterns" underneath the plant.

Yes, it is a relative of the ornamental perennial, Chinese Lantern, as well as of the tomato.

It is a somewhat attractive plant if it just were not so plentiful. Groundcherry is easy to pull and succumbs to spraying quickly. This is also an annual.

A wild, yellow-flowering mustard also is more persistent this year than most, taking over large areas.

And I see numerous buffaloburs starting. Buffalobur has deeply lobed leaves that are spiny underneath, and bright yellow flowers. The stem also is very spiny and requires the use of gloves when pulling it. Both of these are annuals.

Wild verbena with its pinkish blossoms can be considered a lovely wildflower, and it also is in abundance this year.

Whether it is a weed or a wildflower may be dependent on just how many you have to pull out of your flower or vegetable beds.

I normally try to leave them in place because of their beauty, but this year I am far more militant in trying to control them.

This is not considered a problem weed, but in my yard I have a purple threeawn situation, and I see this one coming up in many places.

This is a small bunchgrass whose seed heads form a purple cloud in late summer. It is usually considered to be a good drought-tolerant ornamental grass.

It planted itself in my yard near the road a few years ago, and I liked its appearance enough to encourage it to take over that area.

To my regret and also to my education, it began spreading throughout the entire front yard and now has ventured into the back. This plant is somewhat prickly when mature and is a perennial.

Not all our pests have roots and foliage. If you notice the leaves of your evening primroses (Oenthera spp.) are being badly chewed, check for flea beetles.

They have already been on the attack this season. Another favorite of this insect is eggplant.

Actually, there are many species of flea beetles, many of which have definite preferences as to which of your prized flora taste best.

But others are not as particular. I just found some on my small bur oak.

Identify them by noting that when disturbed, they jump like fleas.

Most pesticides, including organics, will send them on their way, but expect another onslaught a little later.

And do try to control them. They can destroy enough foliage to seriously damage a plant or even kill it.

Marilynn Chambers is a master gardener and member of "The Gardeners" of Pueblo West, who designed, planted and maintain the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden that is being moved from the water utility office to Cattail Crossing fishing pond. You can e-mail her at jpchamlyn@earthlink.net. 

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