Why and How Do Weeds Grow

When you put time and effort into landscaping your yard, it can be frustrating to watch weeds grow more quickly than your desired plants!

It begs the question: How and why do weeds grow?

Different types of weeds sprout from existing root systems or seeds that already exist in the soil and store tons of energy to grow quickly in the spring.

They also have short life cycles, so the weed only has around 5 to 6 weeks to grow and flower.

Plus, native lawn weeds have already adjusted to your yard’s soil, so they are better adapted to grow than plants and seeds you sow yourself.

Their robust and aggressive nature can make weed management an enormous challenge!

Keep reading to better understand how the weeds of Alberta grow:

What Are Weeds?

We all know that weeds are unwanted plants that grow in our yards and gardens, but what makes a weed a weed?

Weeds are plants that grow where we don’t want them to grow, but classifying weeds involves understanding their life cycles.

Weeds can also be categorized into different weed types, such as lawn weeds, garden weeds, noxious weeds, and invasive weeds.

Because we’re talking about how weeds grow and spread, let’s look at the three main types of weeds and their life cycles:

Annual Weeds

These weeds spread by seeding, germinating, and growing for one season before dying off at the end of their life cycle.

Annual weeds grow from seeds that are spread by a parent plant each spring.

Examples of annual weeds include chickweed, oxalis, and bittercress.

Biennial Weeds

This type of weed has a two-year life cycle, producing a leafy plant in the first year and flowers in the second year. The flowers produce seeds that restart a new life cycle.

Biennial weeds include wild carrot and clover.

Perennial Weeds

Perennial weeds grow for multiple seasons and spread by seeding and through their root system. They lay dormant in the winter and return in the spring.

Examples of these weeds include dandelion, ground ivy, and thistle.

How Do Weeds Start Growing?

Weeds are just like any other plant - they require sunlight, water, air, and space in order to grow.

However, unlike many plants you want in your garden, weeds are highly tolerant of extreme conditions.

Weed seeds that lay dormant in the ground also germinate earlier in the growing season. So, as soon as temperatures begin to rise, many types of weeds begin to sprout aggressively.

Cultivated plants grow later than weeds, which can cause the plants and flowers you want to struggle against the already-spreading weeds (which can take up space in the soil and block sunlight).

Because weed species vary from region to region, they adapt to local climates and can even thrive in low-water areas!

For instance, the weeds of Alberta can grow in different environments than the weeds of Saskatchewan because of the differences in climate, temperature, and dryness.

Weeds that thrive without water do so because they are adapted to it.

How Quickly Do Weeds Grow?

Weeds can grow significantly within 24 hours! In fact, they can grow 2 to 3 inches during the day.

A couple of inches may not seem like a lot, but many types of weeds grow in multiple directions - that’s a lot of green growing every day!

In the right conditions (the right combination of warmth and moisture), weeds can grow 1 to 2 inches overnight.

How Do Weeds Spread?

It’s bad enough that weeds grow quickly, in any climate and without any support, but they have to spread too!

Weeds reproduce in a variety of ways, as we mentioned above (either through seeds or their root system), and their reproduction methods can help them spread throughout your yard.

However, other factors come into play when it comes to weed spreading, such as wind, water, birds, insects, and animals.

Weeds can also hitch a ride on your garden tools and even the mud on your boots!

Let’s look at some of these spreading methods in more detail:

• Wind: Dandelions are a perfect example of how weeds are spread by the wind! Horseweed and common milkweed also produce tufts of seeds that can be spread in the wind. However, larger seeds can also be blown around in strong gusts.

• Water: Some weed seeds can float on water and travel downstream or through yard drainage systems to new locations. Heavy downpours can move even the bulkiest of seeds.

• Animals: Animals are one of the biggest culprits when it comes to spreading weeds. Some seeds pass through the digestive tract of birds and herbivores, while others cling to animal fur.

• Peoples: Humans aren’t off the hook when it comes to spreading weeds! Weeds can spread by sticking to our shoes and clothes and spreading to new locations.

• Equipment: Bikes, cars, and lawn equipment can spread seeds on their wheels and blades.

How to Prevent the Growth and Spread of Weeds

Before you start to worry about how to kill weeds, there are ways you can encourage a weed-free lawn!

Here are some tips you can follow:

• Keep Your Lawn Thick: Having a dense lawn can help crowd out weeds and reduce the space available for them to grow. Seed thin or bare areas in the early fall every year to thicken your turf.

• Keep Your Grass High: Regularly mowing your lawn and keeping the grass around 3 to 3.5 inches tall will shade the soil and reduce weed growth. 

• Mow When Needed: To help maintain this shady canopy, only mow your lawn when needed, taking off only ⅓ of the blade of grass to maintain a 3-inch height.

• Regularly Fertilize: Feeding your lawn with proper fertilization keeps it healthy and growing throughout the year, further helping shade the soil and thicken your lawn.

• Water Regularly and Properly: Properly watering your lawn will create a deeper root system for your grass and create a healthier lawn.

• Prep Garden Beds: Prevention is key when it comes to keeping weeds out of your gardens! You can apply a pre-emergent to stop weeds from germinating, grow your plants closely to reduce space for weeds to grow and mulch your beds to smother small weeds and seeds.

If you are bringing in new plants to landscape your yard, look out for hitchhikers!

Again, weeds can spread easily, and new plants from the nursery may introduce new weeds to your garden.

Inspect new plants for seeds or sprouts, and remove them before planting in your yard.

Weeds of Alberta: Watch Out!

There are many ways to control or reduce the number of weeds in your lawn, and Marksmen Vegetation Management is here to help!

There is not one perfect method that will eliminate every type of weed, which is why our team provides comprehensive weed removal services tailored to your unique needs.

Talk to the professionals about dealing with your weeds and eliminating unwanted vegetation on your property.

Contact us today for more information about our weed management services.