Please help identify

[SandRun]

I've been trying to ID this weed by myself for the last month, without success. This thing is unreal, and I think has stunted my garden beyond hope. This time last year I hade probably picked 60lbs of cucumbers, and this year I am less than 5 pounds, not even enough to pickle. My tomatoes are awful, I pulled onions well before they were mature, and started over 3 times with the green beans. I've tilled it, then hand picked what I could, I've mowed it then tilled it, nothing works. I've already planted cover crop in about 40% of the garden hoping to choke it out, and hope for better luck next year.

 

[ducks4you]

Don't know the weed but have you tried smothering them?
Newspaper, covered with dirt and/or compost helps and it's not toxic.

 

[patandchickens]

Try your state agricultural extension agent -- they should be able to ID it for you. My guess is it is one of the relatively more recently escaped greenhouse-origin weeds, as its identity does not leap out at me right off the bat (but then I am not the greatest at weed ID).

COuld you post a more close-up pic of its flowers?

If the weed was not there at all last year, did you by any chance buy some compost?

The main reason for ID-ing it (and I really think it WOULD be useful to contact your ag extension svc) is to figure out whether it is an annual or perennial weed. Control measures are somewhat different for the two categories.

Sorry not to be more help, good luck,

Pat

 

[journey11]

From the last pic it looks like two different weeds in there (the skinny leaves)? It looks familiar to me, but I don't know the name.

Some weed seeds can stay dormant in the soil for years and years, then when you till, the seeds come up to the surface where they can germinate. (Don't you wish veggies had such a tenacious will to live?) I'm battling a similar problem myself with spiny amaranth and some others.

The best strategy is to remove the plants before they can make more seeds. Or prevent weed seeds from ever sprouting with heavy mulching (layers of wet newspaper beneath your straw/grass clippings, etc really helps). And when they do sprout--because you have to give your carrots, beets, beans, etc an opportunity to sprout as well--faithful weeding and hoeing while they are small is about all you can do.

It's not easy and it can be downright exhausting trying to beat out the curse of weeds! I'm in the same boat here. Sometimes you just don't have the time to mess with them.

 

[digitS']

Not really familiar with this one but perhaps it is galinsoga.

Here is a photograph (click).

Steve

 

[SandRun]

I believe thats it, Thank you very much