Quick Reference Guide to Combat Weeds, Disease and Insects in Your Garden

In order to keep your garden in the best condition possible it is important to be able to detect and treat any weeds, diseases or insect infestations. The following tables should serve as a valuable reference for the most common problems.

Weeds:

Type	Description	Control
BUCKTHORN	Flowers in summer; withers in fall.	Cut out, hand pull or use 2.4-D.
CLOVER	Considered weed by those who object to white flower in lawn.	Repeated doses of 4-XD, MCP or other chemicals.
CHICKWEED	Spreading broadleaf with small white flower.	Resists chemicals in cool weather; repeated treatments in warm weather.
CRAB GRASS	Worst weed; spreads by seeds; annual; smooth and hairy types.	Potassium cyanide, PMA or PC (follow directions exactly; PC browns lawn for 2 or 3 weeks).
DANDELION	Broad, ragged leaf; yellow flower.	Hand pull and 2,4-D.
FOXTAIL	Annual; over 60 types; clustered seed-head with green-yellow bristle.	Prevent seed production. Collect clippings and burn.
GOOSE GRASS	Annual; flat, 3-fmgered-seed stem arrangement. Appears in hot weather.	Hand cut or use commercial drop of sulphuric acid.
KNOTWEED	Hot-weather weed; wiry stem; little leaf growth.	Hoe; hand pull. Resists chemicals but succumbs to many treatments 2.4-D.
PLANTAIN	Broadleaf; tall seed stalk.	2,4-D.
QUACK GRASS	Spreading, coarse growth; ashy-green stalks.	Smother with paper or tar mulch to starve roots. Chemicals kill only top growth.
WILD ONION	Deeply imbedded bulb-lets.	Put lime in soil. Use chemicals when plants appear in spring. Try 2.4-D. (Hand pulling won’t work.)