Your Irrigation and Winter Weeds

The winter rains, far from helping to water our lawns and trees, give winter weed seeds the toehold they need to germinate and begin their life cycle. In some cases, this life cycle is incredibly fast, which is why they need to be managed. Managing weeds can be accomplished by controlling irrigation and by eradicating winter weeds when they are still in their simplest form. Today, we’re going to talk about how appropriate management of irrigation and early eradication can control weed growth.

Drip irrigation

Because drip irrigation only applies water to areas where the root ball of the desired plant material is located, other plants, including weeds, don’t have an excellent opportunity to flourish. Those weeds which do manage to germinate don’t have a chance to survive if they are controlled by mechanical or chemical means. When they are also forced to compete with healthy landscape material, the established roots of the already existing plants compete well with tiny weeds. However, if the small weeds remain unattended, they can overtake existing plant material, albeit at a slower pace.

Sprinkler irrigation

Sprinkler irrigation is one of the most excellent methods of growing a lush, thick ryegrass lawn. Combined with a good turf fertilizer and broadleaf pre-emergent, irrigation can establish turf so firmly that weeds struggle to compete. The grass sucks up all of the water and nutrients, leaving less for weed plants. This is the reason a healthy lawn has fewer weeds than a struggling one, or, for example, a dormant Bermudagrass lawn.

Rainfall and germination

When winter rainfall occurs, the desert comes alive. Not only do desert plants flourish, but opportunistic weeds grasp at the chance to germinate. Nowhere is this more obvious than in residential areas, where previously disturbed soil, combined with high traffic of seed carriers--people, pets, tires, and other means--offer opportunities for seeds to move and germinate in areas which have the conditions they need to thrive. A weed seed can remain dormant for up to fifty years. The right conditions and a good amount of rain effectively end the dormancy of the weed seed.

Rainfall and monitoring irrigation

When irrigation runs during rain events, the resulting area of potential germination is more significant than either rain or irrigation alone can create. The combination of forces means the germination of more weeds. Following germination, the unhampered plant will gallop through its life cycle, culminating in flowering, fruiting, and seed production. The seeds from those weeds can plague your future self with more weed plants in the future.

Areas around your home that are irrigated should be monitored closely, both during the rainy season and in the coming days for the germination and growth of weed seeds. These are easy to control when they are small and young, and much more difficult when they get a little bigger and more established.

Controlling the resulting weed growth before it gets out of hand will not only maintain your property in its best form but also allow irrigation to maintain landscaping plants rather than producing extensive, competitive weed material. If you need a review or overhaul of your current irrigation system, so it is more cohesive with our desert climate, give us a call.

Springs of Life  Irrigation is a Phoenix-area irrigation company specializing in professional sprinkler and drip irrigation and landscape lighting installation and repair. Call 623-299-2996 today!