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This weeds chapter from the Extension Gardener Handbook discusses weed life cycles, how to properly identify weeds, and how to manage them using an integrated pest management approach.
Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) Identification and Management: Brief Description: Japanese stiltgrass (also known as annual jewgrass, bamboograss flexible sesagrass, Japanese grass, Mary’s grass, microstegium, Nepal microstegium, or Vietnamese grass) is a summer annual commonly found in shady, moist areas, and is spreading rapidly in woodlands as well as shaded landscapes and low maintenance turf throughout the southeastern U.S., Mid-Atlantic States and north to New England. Japanese stiltgrass germinates in early spring, several weeks before crabgrass, yet flowers and seeds much later, from mid-September through October. It has broader, shorter leaves than most other annual grasses; somewhat resembling broadleaf signalgrass or spreading dayflower. After frost, the foliage and wiry stems turn a distinctive light tan in color and persist through the winter. Vegetative identification characteristics include: rolled vernation, a very short membranous ligule, and leaf blades that are shorter and broader than most other grasses.
Manual removal of weeds is time consuming, expensive, and often results in damage to landscape plants when intertwined roots of both the weed and the ornamental plant are pulled up. Nonselective herbicides (which must be selectively applied to avoid injury to desirable plants) are typically used for postemergence annual and perennial weed control. This publication covers choosing the right herbicide for this situation.
This publication provides an introduction to AI-enabled robotic weeders, their benefits to society, and how this technology can be used in North Carolina's agriculture sector.
This factsheet covers the identification, distribution, and control of Mugwort (also known as chrysanthemum weed), an aggressive, perennial weed that spreads by persistent rhizomes.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of persian speedwell.
This appendix from the Extension Gardener Handbook will help readers to understand the impact of pesticides on our environment, know when to use a pesticide, how to read its label, and how to apply it safely and to understand the signal words and their associated levels of toxicity.
Keeping weeds out early in the season is very important for cole crops that are marketed by size. Learn how to use both cultivation and herbicides to achieve good early-season weed control and avoid losses in yield and profits.
This publication covers chemical weed control and weed response to a variety of crops.
Most commercial onions produced in North Carolina are seeded in the fall and harvested in mid- to late-June. Weed competition can reduce onion yields up to 96 percent, and weeds must be controlled throughout the growing season. Learn about the cultivation and herbicide options growers can use to keep onions weed-free in both wide and narrow rows.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of common dandelion.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of wild violet.
Being related to cotton, okra can be a poor competitor with weeds, particularly early in the growing season. As the crop is harvested, more sunlight can reach the soil and increase late-season weed interference. Learn about the cultivation options and herbicides that growers can use for weed control in okra.
This chapter of the North Carolina Organic Commodities Production Guide discusses cultural, mechanical and chemical tactics used for weed control in organic farming.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of the herbicide, glyphosate.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of ivyleaf speedwell.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of corn speedwell.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Segment (sethoxydim).
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Fusilade II (fluazifop-P-butyl).
Organic farmers cite weed management as their number one research priority. This publication in the Organic Production publication series describes weed control strategies for organic farms based on weed characteristics and an integrated cropping system approach. A special section on cultivation practices that limit emerged and future weeds is based on research by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of the postemergent herbicide Acclaim Extra (fenoxaprop-p).
This publication discusses a number of options that are available to the greenhouse manager for controlling weeds such as creeping woodsorrel, hairy bittercress, spotted spurge, and others. Not only are these persistent problems in greenhouses but they detract from the perceived quality of plants produced, and also are known to harbor insects, such as whitefly and thrips, and other pests such as mites, slugs and snails.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Dimension (dithiopyr).
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of common vetch.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of purple deadnettle.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of the preemergence herbicide Barricade, Prodiamine or Regalkade G (prodiamine).
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Sureguard (flumioxazin).
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Casoron (dichlobenil).
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of pink purslane.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of mouseear chickweed.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of carolina geranium.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of parsley-piert.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of the herbicide Oxadiazon (oxadiazon).
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of white clover.
This appendix from the Extension Gardener Handbook includes tables to help gardeners identify common problems and management strategies for fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Reward (diquat dibromide).
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of the herbicide Dismiss (sulfentrazone).
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Marengo (indaziflam).
Cool-season leafy greens face a different weed spectrum than warm-season crops. The presence of weeds in harvested greens can result in lower prices or rejection at market. Learn about the cultivation and herbicide options that growers can use to avoid weed competition and contamination.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of indian mock strawberry.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of hairy buttercup.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Scythe (pelargonic acid) or Axxe (ammonium nonanoate).
Establishing and maintaining quality annual color beds requires a plan to prevent and control weeds. Weeds compete with ornamental plants for water, light, and nutrients, reducing aesthetic quality and plant growth. To minimize these problems, this publication presents a weed management program that should be developed and implemented prior to planting.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of hop clover.
When it comes to weeds, “start clean – stay clean” should be the moto of every nursery manager. This is especially true for producers of herbaceous perennials. Although we can control most grassy weeds with postemergence herbicide; otherwise, we have few herbicides to use when weeds get out of hand. Furthermore, the herbicides labeled for use in herbaceous ornamentals are either safe on many ornamentals and do not control many weeds, or control lots of weeds but are safe on only a few ornamentals. Consequently, to manage weeds effectively a comprehensive nursery weed management program including exclusion, sanitation, preemergence herbicides, some postemergence herbicides and hand weeding will be needed.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Sedgehammer (halosulfuron).
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of mugwort.
More than 40 sedge species may be found in North Carolina landscapes. Although grass-like in many ways, and the nutsedges are often referred to as “nutgrass”, they are not grasses and require different control measures than grasses. Sedges are easily distinguished from grasses by their leafy shoots that produce leaves in “3s” resulting in stems that are triangular in cross section. In contrast, shoots of grasses are flat or round in cross section.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of hairy bittercress.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of smallflower buttercup.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of carolina false dandelion.
Supplemental hand weeding accounts for the majority of landscape bed maintenance costs. When used exclusively, it can cost 10 to 100 times as much as an effective herbicide or mulching program. However, many of the costly and unsightly weed problems can be avoided or at least minimized with a little planning. Developing a landscape weed management plan involves five basic steps.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of bulbous buttercup.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Basagran T/O (bentazon).
Growing strawberries as an annual crop on black plastic requires a different weed management strategy than the perennial matted row strawberries. Weeds that have hard seed coats, such as vetch and clover, emerge for long periods of time can establish in the row. They emerge in late fall or spring, grow under the plastic for a period of time, and emerge from any holes in the plastic.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of wild garlic.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of henbit.
This publication covers the identification, distribution and control of mulberryweed, an erect, branching, summer annual weed of landscapes and container nurseries that resembles a mulberry tree (Morus spp.) seedling. A native of eastern Asia, it was introduced into North America in the latter half of the 20th century.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Snapshot TG (isoxaben +trifluralin).
This publication details how to achieve accurate and uniform application of herbicides using hand-held applicators in container nursery settings.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of dichondra.
Weed competition in lettuce reduces both yield and head quality. This cool-season crop faces competition from winter annuals as well as early summer weeds. Learn about the cultivation and herbicide options that growers can use to control weeds in lettuce, including advice for lettuce grown with plastic mulch.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Goal and GoalTender (oxyfluorfen).
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Tower (dimethenamid-p).
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of cats ear dandelion.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Surflan (oryzalin).
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Lontrel (clopyralid).
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of florida betony.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Ornamental Herbicide II (oxyfluorfen + pendimethalin).
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of prostrate knotweed.
This publication, chapter 4 of the 2025 Peanut Information handbook, discusses effective weed management in peanut production.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of curly dock.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of blackseed plantain.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Pendulum, Aquacap, Corral (pendimethalin).
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of the preemergent herbicide Princep, Simazine (simazine).
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of cudweed.
This publication discusses the impacts of yellow nutsedge on sweetpotato crops and includes information on weed identification and management.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of horseweed.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Gemini (isoxaben + prodiamine).
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Envoy Plus (clethodim).
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of blackberry.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of prickly lettuce.
For organic soybean producers increased seeding rates improve early soybean canopy density, which shades out weeds in the early stages of weed competition. Organic soybean producers can increase seeding rates with much less of a negative impact on economic return than for conventional production with herbicides.
Color guide to identification of weeds common in container nursery crop production. Also includes a table of preemergence herbicide efficacy on these species.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of cutleaf evening-primrose.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of oldfield toadflax.
This publication discusses best practices for managing and controlling weeds in container nurseries and greenhouses, focusing on woody plant propagation and containerized liner production.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of dogfennel.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of facelis.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of knawel.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of yellow woodsorrel.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Broadstar (flumioxazin).
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of ground ivy.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of common ragweed.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of hairy vetch.
Preemergence herbicide efficacy summary chart, Ranking the efficacy of preemergence herbicides on most weeds of nursery and landscape plantings.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of buckhorn plantain.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of spiny sowthistle.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of spotted spurge.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Regal O-O (oxyfluorfen + oxadiazon).
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of roundleaf greenbriar.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of red sorrel.
Palmer amaranth is the most common and most troublesome weed in North Carolina sweetpotato. This publication discusses Palmer amaranth identification, reproduction and growth habit, impacts on sweetpotato yield and quality, and weed management options.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Pennant Magnum (S-metolachlor).
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of virginia buttonweed.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of common lespedeza.
How often are you weeding? Is it frequently enough to prevent the next generation of weeds? Many of the most common weeds of container nurseries flower and produce seeds within 30 days. Our research suggests that you should be removing emerged weeds every 2 to 3 weeks. This publication offers information on some common container weeds.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of the herbicide Fortress (isoxaben + dithiopyr).
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Finale XL or Cheetah Pro (glufosinate).
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Fuerte (fumioxazin + prodiamine).
This table presents information on preemergence herbicides for herbaceous ornamentals.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of smooth crabgrass.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of field pansy.
This pesticide factsheet covers the use and characteristics of Biathlon (oxyfluorfen + prodiamine).
Weeds reduce the aesthetic qualities of landscape plantings and compete with nursery crops for nutrients, water, and light. Root systems compete for nitrogen and water. Even seemingly non-competitive weeds like bittercress (Cardamine spp.) have been shown to reduce growth of container-grown plants. Tall weeds and vines shade crops, reducing photosynthesis and growth. Vining weeds such as morningglory (Ipomoea spp.) are particularly damaging because they disfigure stems and new growth. In landscape plantings, weeds must be controlled or removed to maintain quality aesthetics. Weeds may also need to be removed for health and safety reasons
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of carpetweed.
In container nurseries -- frequent hand weeding reduces cumulative weeding costs by an average of ~ 36% compared to weeding only before herbicide reapplications. Based on research conducted at North Carolina State University.
This publication covers the identification and control of Florida betony, an aggressive, rhizomatous perennial in the mint family categorized as a category B noxious weed in North Carolina.
This chart presents the grams of herbicide needed for circular landscape beds of various diameters.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of sandbur.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of japanese stiltgrass.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of dollarweed.
Phoma macrostoma, a potential biocontrol agent for turfgrass weeds, was isolated from Cirsium arvense plants in Canada and is being tested in other regions of North America for control of broadleaf weeds in turf. This research was conducted to investigate the effects of varying temperature conditions on Phoma macrostoma control of seedling broadleaf weeds. Experiments were conducted in growth chambers to compare the efficacy of three doses of Phoma macrostoma on two species, Senecio vulgaris and Lamium amplexicaule grown in 4 temperature regimes – 15/20, 20/25, 25/30 and 30/35°C (dark / light period) temperatures. These data suggest that high temperatures common in the southeastern United States should not be an impediment to activity of Phoma macrostoma efficacy, and may actually improve the control of some broadleaf weed species.
Sanitation is an under-utilized component of container nursery weed management. Nursery sanitation is a commitment to weed prevention and management throughout the nursery and throughout the production cycle. This publication describes strategies to prevent weeds from spreading into and within container nurseries.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of broadleaf plantain.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of sericea lespedeza.
This factsheet summarizes the characteristics of doveweed.
This table presents information on preemergence herbicides registered for use on woody ornamentals.
A few weed species in North Carolina have become pervasive across the state and are frequently found in different crops. They form dense populations and reduce yields, making production more challenging. This publication discusses herbicide-resistant biotypes in agronomic and vegetable crops in North Carolina and reviews herbicide resistance management recommendations.
