Guide Common Weeds in Kentucky

Having weeds grow in your garden or grass can be troublesome and time consuming to rid your yard of such weeds. Some weeds or vines that grow wild can overtake a flowerbed or your grass in no time at all, then you will have to call in a professional landscaper, pay him or her a fortune to recover your yard or garden and most likely the weeds will grow back.

There are literally over 100 different types of weeds that are indigenous to the state of Kentucky, to many to mention in this article. There are three main weeds that grow here that are so troublesome that it is rare to find a neighbor's yard or anyone's yard free of these weeds. I often go outside and see two or three of my neighbors out pulling the same weeds that they pulled the week before. There are several ways to get rid of the weeds, but they all are a temporary fix, including poisons. There are some poisons that will work very well to combat weeds from coming back, but then you have to think about the ramifications of using a poison.

Personally I prefer to stay away from using poisons in or around my yard, due to toxins that may leak into my garden. There are several home remedies that you can use to combat weeds. Listed below are the three main weeds that are indigenous to Kentucky.

Digitaria Sanguinalis: Otherwise known as "crabgrass, hairy crabgrass, large crabgrass and purple crabgrass". All crabgrass has similar growth patterns, sprouting in the spring through the late fall with aggressive production. This weed can be identified by its spreading stems with flat leaves that lay flat on the ground. Crabgrass is very difficult to get rid of, but not impossible. If the crabgrass is pulled out by the roots it will take longer for it to grow back, therefore cutting your weeding time down to every three weeks instead of every week.

Pueraria Montana var. lobata: Also known as "Kudzu or Kudzu vine". Kudzu is not indigenous to the United States; this weed vine was imported from Japan in 1876 by some of the plantation farmers to prevent the erosion of their soil; which is made up of mostly red clay primarily in the south. According to the Southern Journal of Applied Forestry, Kudzu has taken over approximately 7 million acres of the southern states, with distribution all the way up to Pennsylvania. Kudzu is known to kill all indigenous plant life that it comes in contact with by smothering the native vegetation with a heavy blanket to leaves and thick vines; which leads to less food for the wildlife.

Toxicodendron Radicans: Also known as "poison ivy". Poison ivy is an especially troublesome weed, it grows mainly in the southeastern states but has been found all the way to the west coast. My father always thought me to stay away from plants that had leaves of three. He would say "leave's of three, let it be". Poison ivy is very recognizable and should be removed by a professional or if you do it yourself, be careful to not breath in the pollen or get the oils on your skin as this will cause a serious rash and possible respiratory symptoms. If you know that you have an allergy to this weed and it is growing in your yard, stay away from it. People with a sensitivity to poison ivy can become seriously ill and need hospitalization.

References for this article came from www.kudzu.com, www.invasive.org and www.plants.usda.gov