Many gardeners have been frustrated by the flush of green across a freshly weeded garden. Persistence and method will combine to help with annual weed control. If the plant can be prevented from producing seeds, by some method of weed birth control, a major continuing problem can be reduced, even though weeds will never be eliminated. 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.
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. Especially as infant weeds, they respond to scuffling with a hoe. But they get even by producing thousands of seeds and scattering themselves across the landscape for future plants. Winter weather doesn't stop weeds in western Washington, so weed management is a year-round process. This time of year the summer weeds are forming seed heads and the ground is full of last year's seeds.