Weed Management
Cultivating, or weeding, is probably going to be your most demanding task as garden caretaker. Weeds are both resilient and persistent. It's important to keep down the weeds in your garden. They steal light, water, and nutrients from your plants, and they shelter insects and diseases.
To successfully control the weeds in your garden, you have to learn to recognize them when they are young. It helps to understand how and when weeds grow to keep the garden clean and weed free. When weeds are small, regular cultivation will control them easily. If you let them become established, getting rid of weeds will be a struggle. Below you will find some helpful resources on weed identification and control.
Resources
The UC IPM Weed Photo Gallery includes many, but not all, weed species commonly found in California farms and landscapes.
This identification key to weeds includes the most commonly found weeds in California lawns. It is part of the UC Guide to Healthy Lawns.
This weed identification tool is from the Weed Information and Research Center.
Individual Pest Notes from the UC IPM Program address a variety of specific weed pests and other unwanted plants.
Weed management in landscapes
