What makes weeds grow so fast

Sometimes gardeners help their vegetables by growing them in pots and then transplanting them into the garden. That gives the veggie a head start against the weed. Miller said some weeds grow from a root that has been alive for many years. These kinds of plants are called perennials. The grasses in your lawn are also perennials. Perennial weeds grow especially fast and are much harder to kill than annuals, which have to grow from seed every year. Perennial roots have lots of energy in them from previous years of growth.

Miller explained that energy helps the shoots grow very quickly. This makes perennial weeds particularly hard to control. Dandelions are one kind of perennial. Each dandelion fuzz ball has as many as seeds that travel in the wind. A good landscaping fabric will smother the underground weeds and make it near impossible for airborne weeds to establish. Outnumber the weeds. Plant as much as you can!

Planting thick dense plants will ensure the weeds that come up from the ground are shaded by other plants. Eat them! You can in fact eat many weeds Dandelions, Dock, Chicory. There are many books and recipes online on making the most out of those weeds in your garden.

Dormant weed seeds may also germinate earlier in the growing season than the seeds of desirable plants. As soon as temperatures rise to the minimum for plant growth, certain species of weeds sprout vigorously. Cultivated plants and grasses may begin growing a bit later than weeds, leading to your desirable plants struggling to sprout in soil where weeds have already taken over. Those fast-sprouting weeds can block sunlight from reaching your new sprouts.

Weed species vary from region to region and are highly adapted to local climates. Because of this, weeds thrive, even in low-water regions. For instance, yellow star-thistle grows well in regions with long dry periods because it is specifically adapted to this climate. The weeds in your region are usually present because they flourish there without any human cultivation.

Weeds can grow 2—3 inches in 24 hours, given the right set of circumstances. Many weeds also have notoriously short life cycles. Chickweed completes its entire life cycle in weeks, from germination to flowering, to seeding and dying.

If you take your eyes off your garden for a few weeks, the next time you look you might see clusters of flowering chickweed among your plants.

In the right conditions, with a combination of rain and warm weather, weeds can grow 1—2 inches overnight.