Download The ENEMY: Flixweed (Descuraninia sophia) is a annual weed

The ENEMY: Flixweed (Descuraninia sophia)
Strategy: This is an annual weed native to Europe. Like all mustards the
yellow flowers have only four petals. The long-narrow seed pods grow
completely from the top of the plant. This plant grows from 12 to 24 inches high
and has plant fern-like leaves that originate from the stem. It is only one of two
mustards that have the narrow, fern-like basal leaves. The seeds are not
diseminated by wind, although the entire plant will break-off from the ground
and tumble, thus spreading the seeds as it races across open ground.
Attack: Like most annuals this plant is a prolific seeder. Hundreds of seeds are
produced from each plant, which are produced in early summer. As this plant
germinates early in the spring it starves desirable plants by taking up all the
nutrients and water. It also adds to the number of ‘tumble weeds’ that are
found in early spring stacked against trees and fences.
Defense: Annual plants are very easy to control; the problem is that there is
usually lots of them. Early discing will kill the plant, but new seeds germinate
after you plant desirable species. Livestock will eat it, until the grasses emerge,
then they will forage on the grasses and let the mustard grow. 2,4-D is good
early in the spring, and then a light application of Sulfonylurea herbicides
(Escort, Telar, Glean, Harmony extra, Banvel, etc) will literally ‘smoke’ the weeds
for the season. Roundup will be weak unless you put the 2,4-D in with it, but
only do this if you are going to revegatate the site. As with bur buttercup this is
the first broadleaf weeds that we see in the late winter, get control of them now
so they will not bother you in the early summer.