As I’m sure many of you are aware, it’s been wet along the gulf coast for the past week. Combined with the hot temperatures we’re forecasted to get over the next couple of days, weed growth may become a problem for many gardeners in our region this week and beyond.
Weeds grow well in wet and warm conditions. This month we’ve had plenty of the wet, with most of our area receiving between 200 and 350% of the normal precipitation for May 1-30. There’s even a good swath of southern Mississippi which has received over 450% of the normal precipitation!
This is also backed up by the latest streamflow for our areas rivers and streams. Many streams and rivers, particularly in Mississippi, are currently experiencing streamflows at or above the 98th percentile, which would correspond to near record highs for this date.
While our region is technically still in a drought, which means that the soil deeper into the ground may still be dry despite the rain, this won’t matter too much for weed growth. This is because the roots of most weeds spread out more horizontally than vertically. That means the moisture level of soil deeper into the ground is largely irrelevant to weed growth.
Looking Ahead
As we move into next week, we’ll experience some hot temperatures during the day. Beginning around Wednesday, temperatures will cool down, and the humidity will crash. This is because an area of high pressure will move into the region bringing fair, stable weather for a few days. If you want to tend to your garden in more comfortable conditions, I would recommend waiting until Wednesday or Thursday.
This week we’re expected to see near normal to slightly below normal precipitation. While you might think this is good for inhibiting weed growth, this map does not tell the full story.
The image above is a spaghetti plot containing many different weather models of the cumulative precipitation from now until mid-June in Mobile. This image is telling us what certain models predict the total amount of rain will be by a certain date beginning today. The circled areas on the image are times this upcoming week where many models agree precipitation will accumulate.
Why is this important? Well, the spaghetti plot tells us more than just if the total amount of precipitation this week will be above normal, normal, or below normal. Even though the total amount of precipitation is looking slightly below normal this week, the weather is still ideal for weed growth because there are multiple days this week where rain will fall. Weeds like consistent watering rather than a ton of water all at once.
Drought
The soil may be wet now, but that doesn’t change the fact that the gulf coast has been in a significant drought for most of the spring. Weed growth may be a bit behind for this time of year due to the drought, so don’t be surprised if a whole bunch of weeds pop up this week that weren’t there before, creating an unusually large amount of gardening work to do!
