Germination periods of common arable weeds

The interaction between weed and crop growth is important, with most problems occurring when emergence coincides. Knowing when weeds are most likely to germinate will help you pinpoint control.

Annual meadow-grass, common chickweed, common field speedwell, crane’s-bill, fumitory, groundsel, mayweeds, red dead-nettle, shepherd’s-purse and thistles.

Black bindweed, black mustard, charlock, common orache, fat hen, fool’s parsley, hedge mustard, hempnettle, knot-grass, pale persicaria, redshank, spring wild-oat and volunteer oats.

Black nightshade, scarlet pimpernel and sun spurge.

Cleavers, common poppy, field pansy, forget-me-not, scentless mayweed, small nettle, thistles, volunteer barley, volunteer oilseed rape, volunteer peas, volunteer wheat and wild radish.

Barren brome, black-grass, Italian rye-grass, loose silky bent, meadow brome, volunteer beans and winter wild-oat.

When was this information last updated?

This page is based on content from the encyclopaedia of arable weeds publication. Since it was first released in 2008, the publication has been redesigned several times but not revised. However, it remains a good foundation for general information on the distribution and biology of weeds.