Coffeeweed Spouts – Plowing

Q: I have planted wildlife food plots and dove fields for many years and there is one weed we can’t seem to get rid of. Coffeeweed sprouts after virgin ground has been broken for the first time in decades. Where does it come from?

A: When you plow you are opening the door to a “seed bank” full of noxious plants. Seeds of many plants lie dormant underground until they are exposed to light or moisture or some combination of environmental conditions. Tilling gave your coffeeweed seeds what they wanted, so up they popped! Control it by visiting your plots twice each summer, in June and August. Pull or chop any weeds you see. If you kill them before the seed pods open, you’ll be making a continuous withdrawal from the “bank”.