The Different Types of Garden Weeds

Every gardener has dealt with pesky garden weeds that just don’t seem to stay away at one time or another. These unwanted plants can be a nuisance because they take moisture and nutrients away from the flowers that we want to grow in our garden, and that is why being able to recognise the different types can be a real game changer. After all, you will know what action to take sooner rather than later. Read on as we go over 5 different types of garden weeds…

Chickweeds

With a height of 5-7 centimetres, chickweed is a weed with an extensive root system and relentless spreading habits which means that it can be quite difficult to eradicate from your garden. With this said, it is thought to be the most common weed around because its seeds germinate in damp soil with ease, something the UK has plenty of!

Charlock

When the ground is disturbed it can provide the perfect condition for a weed known as charlock to germinate and grow. It tends to peak at around 60cm in height and needs to be removed annually before it manages to reach adulthood as this can make it much harder to kill in its entirety. 

Prickly Milk Sow Thistle

As one of the tallest weeds that can trouble gardeners, prickly milk sow thistle can grow up to 90cm tall, however there are often small variations that can be distinguished by pale yellow flowers that grow within the foliage. This weed can be hard to remove once it establishes itself so it is important that gardeners are able to recognise and remove it sooner rather than later. 

Shepherd’s Purse

Often recognised by its characteristic cluster of serrated leaves, many novice gardeners will confuse the weed known as shepherd’s purse with dandelions as they look remarkably similar to one another before the former has produced its flower stems. In fact, shepherd’s purse can be difficult to remove once it has matured so gardeners should try to tackle it within the first 6-8 weeks.

Dandelions 

The beginning of spring is often marked by an abundance of dandelion weeds in the garden as their bright yellow colours are quite difficult to miss. It is interesting to know that they are also perennial weeds which means that they live for two or more years. This can make them particularly tenacious to deal with and is why they should be removed from the roots. 

Here at The Home and Gardens, we want to promote sustainable gardening to all of our readers. Weeds are often relentless which means that it can take a few attempts to get rid of them for good, particularly if you aren’t removing them from the root. With this said, you should try to avoid using chemical pesticides in your yard as these can put insects, wildlife and domestic animals at risk.