North Carolina Hairy Bittercress Control
Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) is a broadleaf, cool-season weed pervasive in North Carolina. It typically germinates in autumn and then grows and re-seeds extensively in the spring. While pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides can help control hairy bittercress, a dense, healthy lawn cover is a strong first line of defense.
Barefoot Lawn Care is Eastern North Carolina’s trusted weed control experts. Through targeted destruction and tailored lawn management, we’ll help you create flourishing green spaces that resist hairy bittercress and other invasive growths year-round.
What Is Hairy Bittercress?
Hairy bittercress is an invasive weed native to Asia that has spread globally. It has a clump of lobed green leaves near ground level, and long, thin hairy stalks of three to nine inches long. Small white flowers and fruits (capsules) grow at the end of each stalk.
As a cool-season weed, hairy bittercress prefers warm but mild conditions. Seeds typically germinate in autumn, and new plants may grow in winter if it’s warm enough. The most significant growth occurs in spring. It typically dies off as summer approaches, but may survive longer under the right conditions.
Hairy bittercress plants produce hundreds of seeds that can easily take root in your lawn if you aren’t careful. The weed prefers loose, shady, damp soils and poorly fertilized lawns with sparse vegetation. If your property has such an environment, you might be creating perfect conditions for hairy bittercress, preventing healthy grass from thriving.
A strong lawn maintenance program that incorporates weed control alongside nurturing dense, healthy turf can help stem hairy bittercress growth. Barefoot Lawn Care will develop just the solution for you.
How to Get Rid of Hairy Bittercress
The Barefoot Lawn Care team is an expert in ways to prevent and stop hairy bittercress. We’ll assess each lawn individually to create a tailored weed control program that roots out the bad growths while protecting healthy turf.
Pre-Emergent Hairy Bittercress Control
Pre-emergent control for hairy bittercress starts with a healthy lawn. Hairy bittercress struggles to grow in compact, well-nourished soils. A lawn care routine with proper drainage, mulching and fertilization can make it harder for seeds to take root.
Pre-emergent herbicides for hairy bittercress may be useful in late summer and early fall. Most hairy bittercress growth begins when soil temperatures drop below 70°F, so we’ll apply pre-emergent treatments as these conditions develop in your area.
Post-Emergent Hairy Bittercress Solutions
The best time to target post-emergent hairy bittercress is while it’s still small, usually in late winter or early spring. Post-emergent herbicides and hand-weeding are effective. Mowing may help, but only if the plants are small enough to be fully destroyed.
You’ll want to complete post-emergent hairy bittercress eradication before the weed flowers, to avoid re-seeding. If you also have strong existing ground cover, you can reduce potential spaces for seeds to flourish.
Why Trust Barefoot Lawn Care?
Barefoot Lawn Care knows lawn care isn’t a one-and-done thing. It requires commitment and expertise. See why customers from Raleigh to Wilmington trust us to weed out hairy bittercress and nurture better green spaces.
Professional Hairy Bittercress Removal in North Carolina
You deserve a healthy, vibrant lawn, and Barefoot Lawn Care will make it happen. Whether hairy bittercress is creeping in or you want to do a better job of keeping it out, we know how to tailor a sustainable lawn care and weed control program to your needs, ensuring lasting results.
Contact us today and we’ll stop hairy bittercress from getting in your crosshairs.
Hairy Bittercress FAQs
Is hairy bittercress annual or perennial?
Hairy bittercress is an annual weed. The seeds typically germinate in the fall and can grow from winter to spring. Most plants die off in summer, but in shady areas or milder climates, they may survive longer.
Why is hairy bittercress a problem?
A single hairy bittercress weed can produce hundreds of seeds in its short lifetime. These seeds can sprout new plants during the next growing season. Eventually, the weed can crowd out healthy grass and turf, and take over your lawn.
Is hairy bittercress edible?
Yes, hairy bittercress is edible and has various herbal, medicinal and nutritional uses. However, due to its tendency to overtake natural lawns, it should only be grown in controlled conditions.
What kills hairy bittercress?
Apply pre-emergent herbicides in late summer and fall to kill hairy bittercress seeds. Use post-emergent herbicides in the winter and spring, once growth has already started. All lawns vary, and different solutions may work better in different areas.
When you choose Barefoot Lawn Care as your weed control provider, we’ll fully evaluate your hairy bittercress problem and existing turf conditions. We’ll then develop a hairy bittercress weed control plan that stops bad growth while protecting the rest of your lawn.
Should you pull up hairy bittercress?
Yes, pulling up hairy bittercress through hand-weeding and hoeing can remove the plant and roots to stop further growth. Mowing over the plant might help, but it’s not as effective as full removal. Weeding is often followed by pre- and post-emergent herbicides for extra coverage.
Does Roundup kill hairy bittercress?
Commercial herbicides like Roundup may help destroy hairy bittercress, but we advise caution when using these solutions. Commercial weed killers are often non-selective herbicides, meaning they can kill nearly everything they touch. If they aren’t applied properly, you risk damaging good growth and healthy turf.
How much does hairy bittercress treatment cost?
Hairy bittercress treatment solutions differ based on the lawn’s specific needs. Therefore, the price of treatment can also vary.
By working with an expert weed control provider like Barefoot Lawn Care, you’ll get targeted, effective solutions without waste. We’ll ensure your program delivers results from the start, and we routinely adjust processes to incorporate the solutions that deliver the best combination of results and value.
To learn more about hairy bittercress treatment costs, request a free estimate from our team.