Weeding in a California Native Garden

Fall and early winter are generally the busiest time in a California native garden, if for no other reason, then because of the need to eliminate this plague of invasive weeds before the more fragile of the native saplings are smothered out.

For gardening purposes, invasive weeds can be divided into two categories - shallow-rooted and deep-rooted. Shallow-rooted weeds can be removed easily simply by scraping at the topsoil with a rake-like implement such as a Hula-Ho. By contrast, deep-rooted weeds require more dedicated shovel work to eliminate - it is essential that the entire root system of these weeds are removed, or they will grow back quickly. 

Common shallow-rooted weeds: 

Common chickweed (Stellaria media) 

Burr medic (Medicago polymorpha)

Mediterranean stork’s-bill (Erodium malacoides)

Cheeseweed (Malva parviflora)

Red Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum)

The most common deep-rooted weed

Purple Nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus) - this weed is the biggest problem in most California native gardens. It is extremely invasive, often coating all formerly bare ground in a garden, and is extremely difficult to eliminate, as roots often extend up to 4 feet down. The key to eliminating nutsedge is to methodically remove the “nuts,” or tubers, throughout the root system. These tubers are the primary mechanism through which nutsedge rapidly propagates. In the process of digging up nutsedge, disposing of tubers should be the primary goal.