GARDEN COLUMN FOR THE SALISBURY POSTPRIVATE

Darrell Blackwelder

March 16, 2006

     The sweet smell of a freshly, mowed, spring lawn is often tainted by the pungent odor of wild garlic.  Wild garlic, often confused as wild onion, is a foul smelling weed easily identified in lawns throughout Rowan County.  Blue-green tufts dot lawns in early spring annoying homeowners and neighbors with the putrid smell.

     Wild garlic, Allium vineale, a member of the lily family, is a close cousin to edible garlic and onions.  It is a cool season, perennial weed that literally jumps out of the ground each spring as temperatures rise above 60 degrees.

     The cylindrical leaves of the weed are waxy, bluish-green and hollow. Underground bulbs bear bulblets which tend to be flat on one side. Wild garlic reproduces by seed, aerial bulblets and underground bulblets which explains the reason why the plant is so prolific and difficult to eliminate. The physiological difference between wild onion and garlic is the presence of a fibrous coat over the bulb, with no offset bulblets near the base of a solid stem.

     Mowing under a certain sign of the zodiac may reduce growth, but never eliminates the weed. The prolific manner in which the weed produces seed and bulb make elimination from lawns a challenge. The use of post emergence herbicides is a common and effective method of reducing wild garlic in lawns.  Wild garlic is considered a broadleaf weed, therefore mixtures of 2,4-D,  dicamba and MCPP or various combinations or mixtures of each kill the weed. Image is another herbicide that successfully eliminates wild garlic. These same herbicides control other broadleaf weeds in lawns such as henbit, dandelion and chickweed. These mixtures, also labeled as lawn weed killers, control broadleaf weeds without harming cool season fescues or fescue blends.

     Post emergence herbicides or broad leaf herbicides may be applied now to control the weed.  Two applications, ten days apart may be necessary for complete control.

     Wild garlic is touted as a difficult weed because of the waxy leaf coating.  Years ago, a small bit of detergent was recommended in the herbicide solution to break the surface tension of the cuticle allowing greater absorbency by the herbicide. Today, many herbicides include a surfactant in the mixture to break waxy cuticles for better adsorption. Read the pesticide label carefully to determine if a surfactant has been added. Adding a small amount of detergent, less than a teaspoon per gallon of mixture, aids in breaking the waxy cuticle.

Darrell Blackwelder is an agricultural agent in charge of horticulture with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in Rowan County. For archived garden columns or other information, visit the Rowan County Master Gardener web site at www.rowanmastergardener.com , e-mail Darrell_Blackwelder@ncsu.edu