In the metropolitan Phoenix area, our climate is much different than the majority of the country. While much of the country is goes through a chilly spring, the valley of the sun has been holding steady in the beautiful temperatures during day with great weather. In the metropolitan Phoenix area, our climate is much different than the majority of the country. While much of the country is goes through a chilly spring, the valley of the sun has been holding steady in the beautiful temperatures during day with great weather. Now we are finally getting our winter rains which will spark a rapid transition to our desert landscapes.

It’s truly incredible to drive through the desert and see our desert blanketed in a plush green and it all happens so fast. Within a couple weeks, weeds emerge from their seeds and begin a growing frenzy, and left uncontrolled will soon become a nuisance. In Phoenix weed control is necessary, because these weeds will become a fire hazard to any homes that are near the desert once they dry up. As they continue to grow, they cause much work for homeowners, especially those concerned about their Homeowner’s Associations complaining about their weeds getting to high.

We have many types of weeds growing this time of year and we tend to catch a couple different cycles due to our region. We have Annuals, Winter Annuals and even Summer Annuals that can and will germinate if the moisture and temperature is right. Sometimes this can be confusing, so I have included some definitions that might give some understanding to our weeds.

Annuals: Begins growth from a seed, produces flowers, and dies in less than a year.

Summer Annuals: Germinated in the spring and complete their life cycle during the summer. Examples: Crabgrass, purslane

Winter Annuals: Germinate in the fall and flower the following spring.

Biennials: Requires two years to complete its life cycle.

Perennials: Live for more than two years. Dandelion, plantain and creeping perennials such as ground ivy and Johnson grass.

Monocotyledons: Grasses are monocotyledons. Grasses have jointed, hollow stems, leaf blades that are several times longer than they are wide, and parallel leaf veins. All grasses have leaves which attach to the stem in a straight line.

Dicotyledons: Broadleaves and sedges are dicotyledons. Broadleaf weeds often have conspicuous flowers. Their leaves have a network of small veins which originated from the major vein that divides the leaf in half. Dandelion, knotweed, and plantain are typical broadleaf weeds. Sedges are grass-like plants with three-cornered stems, and leaves extending in three directions. Yellow nutsedge is an example of a sedge that invades turfgrass.

Fortunately, Invader Pest Management has excellent programs for every kind of weed and through a preventative pre-emergent treatment to the soil we can stop most weeds from growing, and the one’s that get by the pre-emergent we can control with a post emergent that will kill the weed.

We can’t stress enough how important a little proactive prevention can be, and what a huge difference a pre-emergent treatment can make to an overall weed control program. This time of the year is one of the best times to get started, not only because we are now getting rain and weeds will soon be sprouting, but because the rains themselves will help distribute the pre-emergent herbicide to the soil where the seeds await the perfect growing conditions.