By Jessica Hoover, Ag & Natural Resources Agent, WVUES Pendleton County
With spring arriving and many plants beginning their growing season, weeds will soon start popping up across pastures and hayfields. While they’re often viewed as a nuisance, they can serve as a valuable warning sign that something deeper is going on beneath the surface.
Many weeds are considered indicator plants, meaning they thrive under specific soil conditions and can signal underlying issues. Perennial weeds are especially useful indicators because they require favorable conditions for multiple growing seasons to survive. Annual weeds are less reliable indicators on their own, but when they reappear year after year, they may also point to a problem.
One of the most common indicator plants in Pendleton County is Broomsedge Bluestem, sometimes referred to as sage grass. This plant, frequently found on hillsides and in hard-to-manage areas, is a strong indicator of low, or acidic, soil pH. As soil becomes more acidic, the essential nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus become less available to the plant. The most effective way to address this issue is by increasing soil pH, typically through the application of agricultural lime.
Other common indicator plants can provide additional clues about soil conditions including broadleaf plantain in compacted soils with low fertility, curly dock in wet or compacted soils with low calcium and high magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium, and redroot weeds in soil with an improper iron-manganese ratio, just to name a few. (Kreager, 2021).
While these plants don’t provide an exact diagnosis, they offer important clues. A new or increasing weed presence should be taken as a sign to dig deeper rather than just reach for an herbicide. A soil test will provide a person with precise information on soil health and fertility and allow one to make informed decisions regarding pasture health and management. Research indicates that simply removing the weeds rather than correcting the underlying issue is not a long-term solution (Kreager, 2021). Soil analysis at the West Virginia University Soil Testing Laboratory is free to West Virginia residents.
As a person begins working in one’s pastures and fields this spring and summer, take a minute to take inventory of what plants are growing there. Understanding what these indicator plants are telling one is the first step to correcting the issue. For assistance with soil analysis or recommendations to improve the soil health, contact a local extension office. Hoover can be contacted at 304-358-2286, ext 22 or by email at [email protected].
References: Kreager, D. (2021, May 11). Perennial weeds can indicate soil health problems in pastures. Ohio State University Extension. https://u.osu.edu/knoxcountyag/2021/05/13/perennial-weeds-can-indicate-soil-health-problems-in-pastures/.
