Groundsel is able to produce lots of seed, and several generations of this weed can grow in a single growing season. Plants can overwinter and act as a host for rust fungus. This weed is adaptable to a wide range of growing conditions. Seed can blow in from surrounding gardens, fields and waste ground.
Solution
Organic
Pull out young plants by hand before they get the chance to flower and seed. Alternatively, hoe through the surface of the soil to chop them off at the roots. Remove weeds and dispose of them (not on the compost heap) to prevent them re-establishing.
Chemical
Kill the seedlings and young plants by applying a contact weedkiller to the foliage. It's important to do this early in the weed's life, as weedkiller applied to plants in flower may not kill them before they are able to set viable seed.
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april_showers rated this article
26 February 2009
4 out of 5
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