Weed of the Week-Dead Nettle
Dead nettle is a winter annual and is a member of the mint family. It very closely resembles henbit. It germinates from seed in the fall and grows into a very small plant, which overwinters through December and January. Dead nettle begins growing again very early in late winter and is often flowering by late February or early March in North Mississippi. With this year’s warmer temperatures, we are already seeing this weed pop up in our area.
Dead nettle has square stems and a minty odor when damaged, along with bright pink or purplish flower. It can grow into large clumps 12-15 inches tall if left unmowed or untreated.
Winter annual weeds such as dead nettle germinate in the fall, overwinter as a small plant and begin growing again in early spring. They complete their life cycle and go to seed in spring or early summer. The best strategy for control of these weeds is to apply a pre-emergent herbicide in the fall for prevention. If you take advantage of professional lawn care services, this fall application should be a typical part of your program that is applied on your lawn.
If this weed or others are already growing in your lawn, never fear! Weeds can be controlled with a properly applied herbicide. Have you ever asked yourself, “How much does lawn care cost?” Reach out to Lawn & Pest Solutions at 662-534-4535 or www.lawnandpest.net/estimate and one of our certified technicians will be glad to give you an assessment of your lawn and answer your questions.
