It's very difficult to get rid of the tenacious bedstraw, which is both a noxious weed and a medicinal herb. The seeds are viable and can germinate even in cool conditions—down to 0 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, the sprouts emerge equally quickly in spring, summer, and fall.
Therefore, to fight this, I use several golden rules:
- As soon as the bedstraw begins to grow, I weed it immediately. The key is to prevent it from flowering to prevent the spread of seeds.
- When tillering begins, it's time to apply chemicals. I like Derby, Mortira, and Demetra for their effectiveness.
It's helpful to deeply till the soil so that all the roots, which are quite long, can be extracted. You can use herbicides—my friends do that, but they use prosulfocarb-based ones.