Choke Weed

[SouthDakotaRose]

Hello,

I am new here and am requesting information on choke weed. There is a friend of mine who is having a terrible problem with this weed and I am not familiar with either the name of it or it. What exactly is choke weed and how does one irradicate it permanently? She wants to put in a new flower bed and that weed has to be dug out before she plants.

Any info please for me to pass on.

SouthDakotaRose

 

[jhm47]

Glyphosate (trade name Roundup) would be your best bet. Roundup is a very safe herbicide, and only kills growing plants. It has no residual activity, and you can replant quickly. Roundup translocates throughout the plant, so it also kills the roots of the weed. It can be applied via a sprayer or even with a paintbrush. Be sure to follow label directions. Good luck!

 

[SouthDakotaRose]

Thank you for that info about Roundup. I suggested that to her and another person on that forum said she had tried it and it had not worked very well.

What does choke weed look like and how does it grow? What is its botanical name?

I use Roundup sparingly on stubborn weeds like dandelion in my crushed rock driveway. It is 200 ft. long and keep it weed free by hand pulling mostly but rely on good old Roundup once or twice a year.

SDR

 

[vfem]

Ok... choke weed is just considered a basic name for any weed that can choke out other plants. Its not an actual name so I can't find anything with photos or references to an actual week?!

 

[vfem]

http://www.weedalert.com/weed_pages/wa_creeping_woodsorrel.htm

Does that look familiar ...we have a simliar weed here. Creeps and grows and reroots and sucks the life out other plants by their roots.

 

[jhm47]

Since we are not sure what chokeweed actually is, I suggested Roundup. It is a systemic chemical that kills by inhibiting a certain amino acid that is essential for a plant to grow. There are many ways to kill a plant (called modes of action), but this is one of the most effective. The chemical translocates to the root system, and does a good job of ensuring that the plant will not regenerate itself. Many times people will use too dilute solution of a given spray to kill completely. Other times, they don't give the spray enough time to work completely, and sometimes they use the wrong spray for the weed species that they are trying to control. Also, some weeds have a very heavy waxy-like substance on their surfaces, and you would need to use a surfactant to penetrate this in order for the chemical to work. If a weed has this waxy substance, mixing a small amount of Dawn dish soap into the spray will usually penetrate the wax, and allow the spray to do it's job.

 

[Desert Willow]

I live in New Mexico and am having the same problem with the choke weed. My brother calls it Arizona Choke Weed. It just strangles the life out of everything. Now it is growing in my grass. I've been told to dig it up every time it starts to grow, but I could be doing that all summer. There has to be a way to get rid of this terrible weed.:/

 

[vfem]

I wish we were more helpful... we just haven't found the info on this weed anywhere. Not by the name anyways. Would you have pictures to share, that would really help a lot!

 

[patandchickens]

There really are a surprising number of weeds on which glyphosate (Roundup, etc) does not work well.

First, it is worth identifying the real name of the weed -- there are often special 'windows of opportunity' in its life cycle, or particular tips or tricks, that will help if you know exactly who you're dealing with.

Then, you just have to keep after it. Some people would use repeated treatments of glyphosate (but if you're going to do that, find out what the weed is and find out when it's most vulnerable, and learn how to apply your glyphosate in the maximally-effective ways - just spritzing it on any ole way any ole time will not necessarily do much).

Repeatedly cutting/mowing/digging it to the ground will work as well or better, area size permitting. You have to keep at it every time it pokes its nose up, don't let the foliage get more than 4" tall or so b/c then it starts strengthening the roots again.

Or you can smother it out for a year or few years under something opaque with mulch over top of it. If a few roots have survived when you open it up again, they'll be so weakened (and the soil so loose!) that you can easily remove them by hand.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[seedcorn]

Thank you for that info about Roundup. I suggested that to her and another person on that forum said she had tried it and it had not worked very well.

What does choke weed look like and how does it grow? What is its botanical name?

I use Roundup sparingly on stubborn weeds like dandelion in my crushed rock driveway. It is 200 ft. long and keep it weed free by hand pulling mostly but rely on good old Roundup once or twice a year.

SDR

2-4D is a much better choice on dandelions as glysophates have very limited activity on them.

For those that have never used glysophates a key thing to know is that the plant you spray it on needs to be actively growing. If not the receptors for glysophate will seal off and then the plant will be 2X harder to kill the next time. Never spray in hot/dry weather, the better the growing conditions the better glysophate works.