No endorsement of products or information at these sites is implied. Late summer and early fall are ideal times to banish these mean weeds, to prevent them from reappearing, even stronger and meaner, through winter and into next spring. Weeds, like most flowering plants, have basically two possible life cycles, annual or perennial. Knowing the life cycle of the plant is important in developing appropriate control measures. Today we'll discuss annual weeds and their management.
Annual weeds sprout, grow to maturity, go to seed, and die out in one year.
Annual weeds are relatively easy to pull up, and don't leave persistent roots behind. But they get even by producing thousands of seeds and scattering themselves across the landscape for future plants. Cold weather doesn't stop weeds in western Washington, so weed management is a year-round process. It is an annual that very quickly grows from seed to seed-producer, and produces seeds continuously while conditions permit. The requirements for germination vary from seed to seed, ensuring that seeds do not all germinate at once, which would make the species vulnerable to weed control methods.