A weekly report prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). If you require further information, regarding this report, call the Elora Resource Centre at 519-846-0941. Office hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm. For technical information, call the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or visit the OMAFRA website: www.ontario.ca/omafra.
GOATSBEARD
Weeds can be classified into four groups according to their growing habits. An annual is a plant, which completes its life cycle in one growing season. An example would be velvetleaf.
A biennial is a plant, which germinates in the spring, produces a rosette of leaves and remains vegetative during the first summer, a rosette over winter as, sends up a flowering stalk during the second summer, sets seed and dies at the end of the second season. An example would be bull thistle.
A perennial is a plant that lives through three or more growing seasons. An example would be Colt’s-foot or Canada Thistle.
The fourth type is the winter annual, which is a plant that germinates in the fall, usually over winters in the rosette stage, flowers and sets seed the following spring and dies in the summer. An example would be Shepherd’s Purse.
Goatsbeard is a biennial reproducing only by seed.
The flowering stems are from one to three feet tall, smooth, round, hollow, and topped by a yellow composite type (ox-eyed daisy) flower.
The flower matures into a large, round seed-head like dandelion or coltsfoot but much larger. Each seed has its own umbrella to permit it to travel on the wind often for great distances. It then establishes itself with a long taproot and grass like leaves.
It is difficult to find in existing grass stands and usually is difficult to pull, especially when flowering. When the plant is injured, it exudes a white juice. It flowers in June and July. It is a noxious weed under the Weed Act, so it must be destroyed.
Written by John Benham, weed inspector
COMING EVENTS
Sept. 11 to 13 – Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, 744906 Oxford Road 17, RR6 Woodstock. For more information, visit outdoorfarmshow.com or call 1-800-563-5441.
Oct. 14 to 16 – Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference. Hilton/Fallsview, Niagara Falls.
For more information, visit advancingwomenconference.ca/ or call 403-686-8407.
