It’s always a bit typical in August. The calls received from lawn care customers to say they have a weed, or weeds, they didn’t expect. But rarely have there been more than this summer.
Heading the list…a waxy, ground-hugging plant called “Purslane” (shown above). It grows insidiously, and it grows fast.
Another, taking over landscaped beds, and seemingly overnight, is called “Spurge”. Flatter to the ground than even “purslane”, it starts the size of a quarter and by week’s end it can spread to the size of a basketball.
A “Spurge” plant can show up the size of a quarter and spread to the size of a basketball within a week. Easy to control with consistent maintenance.
There are others: crabgrass, buckhorn, plantain, and even the onset of a few fall dandelions. We’re seeing them first-hand, and we’re hearing about them. “Why are we having these?” people ask. “That’s why we pay for lawn care.”
We say it’s a typical lament in August, but this has been anything but a typical August…or summer, for that matter. We’re inches ahead in terms of rainfall from the last three seasons, and with that rainfall comes yards that are greener because the grass is growing. We like that, but with the grass also comes additional weeds, and, we don’t like that!
Why? Well, in a lot of cases the reason can be traced to “insufficient” lawn care. People who sign up for spring and fall weed control only are usually the ones we hear from most. The ones who get the in-between applications, May, June, and July, we seldom hear. To draw a parallel, it’s like the person who goes to the doctor for an antibiotic to get over a cold…and doesn’t take the full prescription. It’s the same with weed control. The more you stay the course, the better results you’re going to get.
“Purslane” and “Spurge” can indeed be a nuisance. They’re going to grow anyway, but combined with getting all the rain they need and spotty preventative maintenance, well…it’s enough to make you pick of the phone and call.
Like Dr. Frasier Crane used to say…”We’re listening!”
