No work today. Yeah right. I’ve been greatly concerned about some particularly noxious weeds, nightshades. I have 3 different types. Black nightshade, I’ve seen a few plants. Silver leaf nightshade, a patch of those on and behind the pond dam. And one called Jerusalem cherry, a big patch around the oak tree that provides shade for the dogs and sheep. Those were covered with fruits, turning a festive orange red and starting to drop off. Mowing would simply scatter the seeds and spraying with poison would have no effect on the seeds.
So I got my wagon and started pulling them up. The Jerusalem cherry has an extensive root system and spread with sprouts. Mowing them down did little to no good, as they evidenced by sprouting back up, with up to a dozen more plants forming a crown. They were covered with green balls turning to red. They had small white flowers. Determined toxic noxious plants want to live and make more seed!
The Silver leaf nightshade had attractive purple flowers , elongated green leaves, silver underside. They mostly broke off at the ground, leaving their roots to come back again. When I did get a root, it was a long tap root. Weed survival, break off and come back. The stem was elongated, falling over, another survival trick, to escape the mower!
Poor Sentry! He stayed with me, clearly asking me to stop this madness and take him inside the house where the magical AC makes life bearable. He was hot and sought refuge in the scant shade of the pond bank.
Finally! I pulled the wagon to the gate, then to dumpster and tossed the weeds.
I called Sentry and Carson to go in the house. They are both passed out, snoring.