Spurge is a hot weather weed you may not know by name but you recognize it pictured above. It will begin to grow after temps reach 60 degrees so we fight it from spring through our first frost.

Spurge will grow in your lawn, in your flower bed, in gravel, cracks in pavement, it will grow anywhere! It multiplies very quickly and although it is easy to pull, with its single long tap root, who wants to pull weeds!

There are 2 ways to control this weed – 1) through pre-emergent which is applied before the weed seed germinates and grows into a spurge weed or 2) with a post-emergent spray which is applied after the weed appears.

Pre-emergent should be applied 2 times per year – in the early spring before the soil temperature reaches 55 degrees and in the fall after temps are below 85 degrees but before the first frost.

To improve the effectiveness of the post-emergent product you choose mix in some surfactant to help the spray stick to the weed instead of rolling off the weed. (Hint: add blue spray indicator dye for use when spraying plants so that you can see where you have sprayed and areas you still need to cover. The dye disappears after watering so you won’t have a smurf yard for long.)

For answers to specific questions about spurge or other plant problems you can text (903) 339-0922 or email questions to Ask Danny at thgcaskdanny@gmail.com.