 seedling |
 young plant |
Redroot Pigweed
Life cycle: Annual
Leaves: Longer than it is wide, narrowing at both ends. Edges can be jagged or even. Often purple or red underneath leaves.
Stems: Sturdy with ridges. Often red.
Flowers: Small, green, inconspicuous flowers at the top of the plant
Roots: Pink to reddish colored shallow taproot
Comments: Prolific seed producer. Seeds may survive in soil for several years. Primarily a problem in disturbed soils.
Control
Cultural: Mowing for new lawn plantings. Bedding or mulch in landscapes and gardens.
Foliar Herbicides: Carfentrazone (QuickSilver) may be a good option in new lawn plantings where Kentucky bluegrass has been emerged for at least 7 days.
Soil Herbicides: For landscapes, may use isoxaben (Gallery or Portrait). In gardens, trifluralin (Preen) or corn gluten meal (Preen Vegetable Garden Weed Preventer) may provide some suppression.