Seeds can start germinating as early as September, and hairy bittercress will emerge as a rosette. The first true leaves are heart shaped and followed by compound leaves with two or more pairs of kidney shaped leaves. The flowers lead to seed pods known as siliques that can disperse seeds as far as 16 feet if they are disturbed after ripening.

Control consists of hand removal or non-selectives such as Ranger Pro. For areas where pesticides are a concern, Avenger is an OMRI product representing an organic option. Most broadleaf selective herbicides including Speedzone will perform well in the lawn. Echelon will give you some suppression along with help on the pre-emergence strategy.

Make sure to read the label for turf safety and rates.  Left unchecked, these weeds will be less visible as they tend to die with the onset of summer heat giving you the false feeling that they are gone until they show up again late fall. Pre-emergent herbicide applications in the fall can also help to greatly reduce populations before they become visible.  

Please contact the Ewing Technical Services Team if there are any questions or to suggest future topics.