If it seems like stiltgrass is taking over the earth, you’re not alone! All that rain in July produced even more than usual. I’ve been pulling it out of my beds  — and it does come up easily — but if you have huge swaths, try mowing or weed-whacking. Aim to get it before it sets seed.
Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) is an annual invasive that flowers beginning in July into October. Â A single mature plant can produce about 1,000 seeds. The seeds ripen and drop to the ground between August and December and can remain viable in the soil for up to 7 years.
Mowing and weed whacking it in August greatly reduces seed formation. For more information on this invasive species and how to control it, see the Blue Ridge Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) fact sheet on Japanese Stiltgrass and the Invasive Plant Control Calendar in the May 2022 issue of The Garden Shed.