Hello, I’m Velcro Weed

Botanical Name

Silver leaf Desmodium

DESCRIBE YOURSELF

I am known as Velcro weed because my seeds stick to your clothes like velcro and are hard to remove, I am a long-lived creeping weed with mauve flowers. And I regularly produce roots at the stem joints. I love drinking any weed killers that you spray on me.

WHAT I’M TELLING YOU

As a weed, I am great in taking advantage of the poor condition of your soil. I like to grow in soils that are high in nitrogen but deficient in calcium and phosphorus. And I really love soils that are constantly moist! I can also be telling you that your soils are high in potassium, boron and iron but low in organic matter. So, add more compost and humus and I might go away!

CONTROL OF VELCRO WEED

I am best controlled by listening to what I’m telling you about your soil condition! And I can be well controlled by hand weeding. Just make sure you remove ALL of me as I will reproduce from any stem, leaf or root that remains. As I like to grow in moist.soils that are high in nitrogen, but deficient in calcium and phosphorus, you can change the soil by adding more humates. Try adding lots of compost! You can also buy liquid humates to add to your soil. Otherwise try hand weeding. Just make sure you do this before I flower and set seed.

I can also be controlled by using a biodynamic pepper ( see Biodynamic Peppers) However, weed peppers work best when combined with a weed tea. Weed teas take the nutrients I have accumulated in my leaves and feed them back to the soil.

I do respond to being sprayed with organic weed killer comprised of vinegar, salt and soap, but this needs care as I may be smothering a plant that you want to keep!