Your garden is full of characters. Some are helpful, some are a nuisance—and a few are both. Either way, it helps to know what you’re dealing with. Let’s take a closer look at six of the most common plants you’re likely to spot this season—along with tips for telling them apart, getting rid of them or putting them to good use.

BINDWEED - FOE

One of the most common perennial weeds, bindweed is a dark green vine with white trumpet-shaped flowers. It climbs fences and chokes out vegetable plants. This nuisance spreads both by seed and underground roots.

CONTROL TIP: Managing bindweed is a season-long task. Avoid weed whacking—each cut encourages the plant to split and grow back twice as strong. Instead, look for native mites that feed on bindweed. If you spot bindweed with crinkled leaves, snip off a few and transplant them to your yard to introduce these beneficial bugs.Flame weeding is also effective. A low flame damages the plant’s growth points, forcing it to sprout from deep in the root, which can take up to three weeks. Compare that to a one-week regrowth if simply cut at the surface.

DANDELION - FRIEND

This familiar perennial boasts dark green leaves jagged like a lion’s teeth—hence the name. Its leaves grow in a circle around a hollow stem topped with bright yellow blooms. Below ground, a long taproot extends deep, drawing minerals from the subsoil and enriching both the plant and the soil.

EDIBLE VALUE: Dandelion leaves can be eaten fresh or dried, but they taste best when they’re harvested before flowering. They’re rich in chlorophyll, calcium, magnesium, vitamins A and C, and natural bitters that support digestion and gut health. The yellow petals offer a mild honey-like flavor and are packed with vitamin B, amino acids and trace minerals. The root, high in minerals, gets sweeter as the plant prepares for dormancy. Grate it fresh into soups or sandwiches—it’s tasty and versatile year-round.

KOCHIA - FOE

This fast-growing annual weed sports 1- to 2-inch lance-shaped leaves and can shoot up to 6 feet tall. A single plant can produce up to 100,000 seeds—so don’t wait to take action.

CONTROL TIP: Hit it early, while it’s small. Flame weeding works great over large areas, but for spot treatment use 30% vinegar (acetic acid). Table vinegar (5%) won’t cut it—go for the stronger stuff to burn the plant’s cells and stop photosynthesis in its tracks. If kochia gets knee-high, mow or weed whack it first, then immediately follow with flame or high-strength vinegar to finish the job.The good news? It won’t grow back. As an annual, once it’s gone, it’s gone.

LAMB’S QUARTER - FRIEND

This hardy annual can tolerate poor soil and often grows in clumps. Its silvery-green, arrow-shaped leaves appear opposite each other along a sturdy stem. The white dust on its leaves is mineral salt drawn from the soil—so the more powdery it looks, the more mineral-rich the spot. As the plant matures, it forms flower clusters at the top of each stalk.

EDIBLE VALUE: When young, lamb’s quarter leaves taste like spinach and can be enjoyed fresh in salads, tucked into sandwiches, blended into pesto, juiced or ribboned into bread dough. Just one cup of greens delivers 90% of your daily vitamin C and is packed with B vitamins. A cousin to quinoa, lamb’s quarter seeds are a complete protein and highly nutritious. You can sprout them in 1-2 days or cook them like a grain.

QUACKGRASS - FOE

This pale green, clumping grass is a persistent invader in lawns and gardens. It spreads rapidly via underground rhizomes and can be identified by the claw-like appendage at the base of each leaf, which clasps around the stem.

CONTROL TIP: Mowing or weed whacking won’t stop it. Instead, dig around the edges in spring and fall to slow its spread. During the growing season, apply baking soda to individual plants—it blocks water uptake and kills the grass back. For best results, wet the leaves first, then sprinkle about 1 teaspoon per plant. You can also make a spray: mix 10 tablespoons of baking soda per gallon of water and apply in full sun. But be careful—this method is non-selective and can harm nearby plants.

GOAT HEADS - FOE

Also known as puncture vine (tribulus terrestris), this low-growing, sprawling weed has fern-like leaves, small yellow flowers and notorious spiked seed heads that resemble a goat’s head. It’s the scourge of bare feet, dog paws and bike tires alike.

CONTROL TIP: While the leaves and shoots are edible, the plant’s painful seed pods make it more enemy than asset. The green fruit, when dried and powdered, was once used as a natural testosterone booster, but that’s no reason to keep it around. Weed whacking prevents flowering temporarily but encourages stronger regrowth. Flame or 30% vinegar treatments when the plants are young will eliminate them and they won’t grow back. If you keep them from flowering, they’ll be gone from your yard within a couple of seasons.

MAY PLANTING DATES

According to the Biodynamic Calendar, ideal planting days for May are May 1–13 and May 27–31.

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