Seeds Of Woe

Autumn is considered harvest time for a variety of crops, but it is also the time to collect any weed seeds that have grown in the home landscape. As the cool season approaches, the seeds from both annual plants and many perennial plants mature. Once these seeds have developed, the use of herbicides is pointless.

Weed killers have little effect on annuals, as they are already completing their life cycle, and perennials are shutting down for the year. Either way, their seed will not be affected.

Seed heads and seed pods are easily shattered when the seed is mature and ready to disperse. Once loose, seeds are distributed by wind, birds and animals.

Migratory birds, raccoons and other omnivores seek to increase their caloric intake as winter approaches. Plants attract these hungry animals with brightly colored seed coverings like fruits and flowers. 

When consumed, seeds pass through the digestive system and are deposited in a new location, sometimes close to the parent plant. Smilax, coral ardisia, pokeweed and many other species spread this way. If all the necessary components for plant growth are present, the weed will establish itself and start the cycle over again.

Other seeds, such as sand spurs and Spanish needles, cling to any animal or person that comes into physical contact with them. They will fall to earth when shaken loose or brushed off.

Though labor intensive, harvesting weed seeds this autumn will save weeding time when spring returns. Once removed from the landscape, these seeds should be sealed in a container and incinerated or placed in the trash.

It is best to avoid using the season’s final grass cutting for mulch or composting, as it is likely to contain the seed of next year’s weeds. These practices will not eliminate next year’s weed crop, but they will minimize unwanted growth.

Ginko Tree

Photo by iStock / Getty Images Plus: Benan Liu

Showy autumn foliage is not a hallmark of North Florida, but there is one non-native tree suitable for home landscapes that stands out.

Ginkgo biloba, as the maidenhair tree is scientifically known, is the only living species in its plant division of Ginkgophyta. This tree’s leaves are distinctive and bright. The fan-shaped foliage is a moderate green during the growing season but becomes a bright yellow in the autumn.

In North Florida, the Ginkgo is practically pest-free and resistant to wind and storm damage.

Young trees are often very open and sparsely branched, but they fill in to form a denser canopy after a few years. In ideal conditions, these large trees reach a height of 60 to 80 feet at maturity, and the Ginko’s deep root system makes it resistant to most extreme weather events.

For landscaping purposes, the male tree is preferred. The female tree has a distinct, and some say offensive, odor associated with its fruit in the fall.

Land Lubbers

Photo by iStock / Getty Images Plus: Chase D’animulls

Grasshoppers are among the most abundant herbivores in the local grassland ecosystems, and they can be a major landscape pest in early autumn. In total, there are about 70 different species of grasshoppers in Florida.

These species tend to have similar life histories. Pods of eggs are deposited in the soil, typically passing through five or six nymph stages on their way to adulthood. Normally, there is only one complete life cycle per year, but several species can produce more than one generation annually.

Large grasshoppers earn their status as pests in the late summer and early autumn when populations are abundant. Local grasshoppers will remain in an area until plants are depleted and stripped bare. Then, they move on to the next meal site.

Capturing these large specimens removes their opportunity to reproduce. They can be humanely dispatched by placing them in a container in the freezer. After a few hours, deposit them into the waste stream.

Les Harrison is a retired University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Wakulla County extension director.