About Beyond Lawn
Annual and Biennial Weeds
Annual weeds complete their life cycle—germinating, flowering, setting seed, and dying—within a year. They often emerge in disturbed soil, hindering the establishment of desired plants. Biennial weeds, on the other hand, take two years to complete their life cycle, growing without flowering in the first year and producing a flowering stalk in the second. Both annual and biennial weeds reproduce solely by seed, such as cheatgrass (annual) and many thistles (biennial). The key to controlling them is preventing seed production.
Perennial Weeds
Perennial weeds live for three or more years. Simple perennials, like dandelions, grow singly with a large taproot and reproduce only by seed. Spreading perennials, such as bindweed, start from seed but spread vegetatively once mature, reproducing both by seed and asexually, making them particularly difficult to control. Effective management involves preventing seed production and completely removing or killing the entire plant, both above and below ground.