Natural Weed Control

By

Randy Mosley and A. C. Dromgoole

Enviromate Inc.

 

 

It’s springtime and yards, gardens and field are beginning to green up.  Now is the time one begins to notice the “WEED”.  These weeds probably stand out a little more now because they have a tendency to green faster than normal lawn or pasture grasses.  Being in the organic fertilizer business I am always ask questions on controlling weeds in a safe manner.  I posed this question to our resident agronomist, A. C. Dromgoole and he passed on information that was originally put together by Dr. Arden Anderson with Acres USA.  We have made some modification to his work to simplify and included pictures to help identify the specific weed.   A guide listed below provides information about soil conditions that contribute to the weed’s proliferation and what soil amendments can be done to reduce or eliminate the weed.

 

Guide:

Weed Meaning:            What does the weed tell us about soil conditions?

 

Enhancing Materials:     What soil conditions contribute to the weed’s proliferation?

 

Correcting Material:      What soil amendments reduce or eliminate the weed?

 

 

 

Black Bindweed       

                                

Weed Meaning:            Potash excess, narrow Calcium Magnesium ratio, salt excess, Vitamin B2 deficiency.

Enhancing Materials:     Magnesium, Potassium, salts

Correcting Materials:    Calcium, Copper, Molybdenum, vitamin B12

 

Black Nightshade   

Weed Meaning:            Calcium, Phosphorus, Copper, vitamin B3 deficiencies, improper Phosphorus Potassium ratio.

Enhancing Materials:     Potassium Chloride, excessive Potassium and Zinc.

Correcting Materials:    Calcium, soft rock phosphate, copper and vitamin B3.

 

Common Mullen      

Weed Meaning:            Calcium, Cobalt, Boron, Xenon, vitamin C deficiencies.

Enhancing Materials:     Magnesium, sodium chloride, diammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, vitamin K, zinc, Potassium Chloride, reduced biological activity.

Correcting Materials:    Molasses, biologicals, molybdenum, vitamin C, selenium, phosphoric acid, seaweed, biomin calcium, calcium carbonate, vitamin E, hydrogen peroxide, soft rock phosphate, sulfates.

Common Pursiane

   

Weed Meaning:            Lack of biocarbons or active humus, sodium salts, calcium, sugar, molybdenum deficiencies

Enhancing Materials:     Zinc, Potassium Chloride, Sodium, salts, Magnesium, Magnesium Sulfate.

Correcting Materials:    Dextrose, white sugar, molasses, Calcium, Molybdenum, humic

acid, enzymes, soft rock phosphate.

 

Dandelion                 

Weed Meaning:            Calcium, Phosphorus, vitamin A, Iron deficiencies.

Enhancing Materials:     Zinc, Magnesium, Potassium Chloride, Potassium.

Correcting Materials:    Vitamin A, soft rock phosphate, Calcium, molasses, black rock phosphates, humic acid.

 

Field Bindweed         

Weed Meaning:            Potash excessive, narrow Calcium Magnesium ratio, salt excess, vitamin B2 and B17 deficiency, specific amino acid deficiency.

Enhancing Materials:     Magnesium, Potassium, salts.

Correcting Materials:    Calcium, Copper, Molybdenum, vitamin B12 and C.

 

Giant Foxtail            

Weed Meaning:            Calcium, Phosphorus, Copper, Vitamin B12 deficiencies.

Enhancing Materials:     Potassium Chloride, chemical Nitrogen, salts.

Correcting Materials:    Calcium, soft rock phosphate, vitamin B12, carbohydrates, sulfates.

 

Grass Bur                 

 

Weed Meaning:            Compaction, low soil humus, acidic soil.

Enhancing Materials:     Potassium Chloride, chemical Nitrogen, salts.

Correcting Materials:    Humic acid, enzymes, biologicals, lime.

 

Green Bristle Grass  

Weed Meaning:            Compaction, excess Magnesium, narrow Calcium Magnesium ratio, Calcium, Phosphorus, Selenium, vitamin C, carbohydrates deficiencies.

Enhancing Materials:     Potassium Chloride, Zinc, Magnesium.

Correcting Materials:    Calcium, Iron, Molybdenum, Selenium, vitamin B12 and C, sugar, soft rock phosphate, black rock phosphate, aeration.

 

Johnson Grass          

Weed Meaning:            Calcium, Phosphorus, Copper, Selenium, deficiencies.

Enhancing Materials:     Potassium Chloride, compaction, Zinc, certain pesticide interactions.

Correcting Materials:    Calcium, Phosphorus, Copper, Molybdenum, vitamin B12 and C, sugar, humic acid.

 

Lamb’s Quarter       

Weed Meaning:            Calcium, Phosphorus, Selenium, vitamin C deficiencies.

Enhancing Materials:     Potassium Chloride, diammonium phosphate, chemical nitrogen, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulfate, lime.

Correcting Materials:    Seaweed, molasses, Selenium, Molybdenum, Hydrogen peroxide, Cobalt, Manganese, Copper, soft rock phosphate, monoammonium phosphate.

 

Milfoil                    

 

Weed Meaning:            Excess nitrogen

Enhancing Materials:     Nitrogen sources of all types

Correcting Materials:    Calcium carbonate, vitamin E and B12, molybdenum, cobalt, sul-po-mag, potash

 

Milkweed                  

Weed Meaning:            Phosphorus, carbohydrates, Cobalt, boron deficiencies.

Enhancing Materials:     Potassium chloride, poor electrolyte conditions.

Correcting Materials:    Seaweed, humates, humic acid, molasses, sugar, copper, biologicals, cobalt, manganese.

 

Nutgrass                    

Weed Meaning:            Calcium, Phosphorus, Silica, carbohydrates deficiencies, compaction, low water-holding capacity.

Enhancing Materials:     Salts, Potassium chloride, sodium, ammonia.

Correcting Materials:    Sugar, humic acid, Cobalt,vitamin B12.

 

Poison Ivy             

Weed Meaning:            Calcium, Phosphorus, Silica, Molybdenum, Selenium deficiencies, negative polarity.

Enhancing Materials:     Diammonium phosphate, magnesium and associated compounds, stray voltage.

Correcting Materials:    Seaweed, phosphoric acid, monoammonium phosphate, calcium carbonate, cobalt, selenium, Vitamin C, A, and E, copper.

 

Quack Grass             

Weed Meaning:            Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron, Cobalt deficiencies.

Enhancing Materials:     Potassium Chloride, sterilization conditions, and compacted conditions.

Correcting Materials:    Copper, Magnesium, soft rock phosphate, sulfates, Vitamin B12, Calcium, sugar, molasses, aeration of the soil.

 

Ragweed                   

Weed Meaning:            Calcium, Phosphorus, Copper, vitamin A and E deficiencies.

Enhancing Materials:     Potassium Chloride, Magnesium sulfate, Zinc, low bioactivity, chemical toxicity. Lack of soil aeration.

Correcting Materials:    Manganese, Copper, Vitamin C and B12, Calcium, Phosphorus, sugar.

 

Red Root Pigweed    

Weed Meaning:            Phosphorus, vitamin A, Iron, Cobalt, bioactivity deficiencies.

Enhancing Materials:     Salts (manure or chemical), potassium chloride.

Correcting Materials:    Calcium, Phosphorus, Copper, Molybdenum, carbohydrates, humates, vitamin C.

 

Shepherd’s Purse     

 

Weed Meaning:            Salt, narrow Calcium to Magnesium ratio, Calcium, phosphocarbonate,

 Copper, Molybdenum, vitamin B3, Beryllium deficiencies.

Enhancing Materials:     Zinc, Magnesium, salt, chemical nitrogen, potassium chloride, basic N in some cases.

Correcting Materials:    Copper, Calcium, phosphate, molasses, Molybdenum, vitamin B3, B12.

 

Velvet Leaf               

Weed Meaning:            Methane absorption, Phosphorus deficiency, highly anaerobic conditions.

Enhancing Materials:     Potassium chloride, chemical nitrogen, Magnesium, herbicides, putrid conditions.

Correcting Materials:    Calcium, Phosphorus, Molybdenum, Silica, vitamin B12, molasses, humates, sulfates.

 

Western Nutgrass    

Weed Meaning:            Calcium, Phosphorus, Copper, carbohydrate deficiencies.

Enhancing Materials:     Magnesium, potassium chloride, Zinc, vitamin K, humates were excess has been applied, diammonium phosphate, sulfates where excess has been applied.

Correcting Materials:    Sugar, molasses, vitamin C, B12, Calcium, Copper.

 

Wild Carrot              

Weed Meaning:            Excess Magnesium, Iron, Molybdenum, phosphocarbonate, Calcium deficiencies.

Enhancing Materials:     Magnesium, potassium chloride, Iron and cold temperature.

Correcting Materials:    Iron, molasses, Molybdenum, Calciu8m, vitamin B12, phosphocarbonates.

 

Wild Dewberry         

Weed Meaning:            Calcium, Phosphorus, Sulfate, Molybdenum, Silica, vitamin B12 deficiencies; acidic soils.

Enhancing Materials:     Zinc, vitamin K, chemical nitrogen, potassium chloride, sodium chloride.

Correcting Materials:    Sulfates, vitamin C, Selenium, Boron, Copper, Molybdenum, Iron, Phosphate, humic acid, Cobalt, sugar, vitamin B12, Calcium.

 

Wild Oats                  

Weed Meaning:            Calcium, Phosphorus, Cobalt, Silica deficiencies.

Enhancing Materials:     Zinc, chemical nitrogen, potassium chloride, soil compaction.

Correcting Materials:    Calcium, Phosphorus, nitrate, Copper, sulfates, Molybdenum, vitamin C and B12.

 

Wild Vetch               

Weed Meaning:            Calcium, Phosphorus, Manganese, Molybdenum, Silica deficiencies.

Enhancing Materials:     Potassium chloride, Magnesium, Zinc, vitamin K.

Correcting Materials:    Manganese, Molybdenum, vitamin C, Phosphate.