Tumbleweed is a rampant weed with strong regenerative ability. If not controlled properly, it can spread extensively and cause serious harm to the ecological environment and human health. Therefore, it is important to understand the growth habits of tumbleweed in order to effectively control its malignant growth!
1. Strong regenerative ability
Stems, nodes, branches, and roots can all grow new roots. After being cut or uprooted, the remaining above-ground remnants can quickly regrow new shoots. The germination period varies, resulting in overlapping and uneven growth periods.
The germination period can start from mid to late March and last until late November, lasting for 7 months. Early and late maturing tumbleweed can have a difference in their growth periods of over a month. This is the direct cause of the overlapping and uneven growth periods.
Tumbleweed, as a malignant weed, also exhibits strong vitality and high reproductive capacity. A single tumbleweed plant can produce thousands of seeds, which can be spread everywhere by wind, humans, livestock, birds, and water flow. Broken tumbleweed can also grow more new branches from its root stubs.
2. Thrives in wet conditions and avoids drought
Tumbleweed has a shallow root system and cannot absorb water from deep soil layers. It commonly wilts and withers during dry autumn seasons, while it thrives in moist areas. It has strong resistance to cold.
Mature tumbleweed can withstand temperatures as low as -3 to -5°C during harsh winters, becoming perennial tumbleweed. It grows densely in patches. Since tumbleweed fruits generally scatter within a radius of 1-1.5 meters around the plant, this pattern continues year after year, forming dense patches of growth.
3. Flowering habits
Male flowers have a habit of flowering every other day, with the flowering time between 6-10 am. They release pollen and undergo pollination between 7-11 am, and then close after 11 am.
If it encounters cloudy or rainy weather, it will not flower. After the weather clears, it can continuously flower for 2-3 days before resuming the habit of flowering every other day. Each male flower cluster only opens 2-5 small flowers at a time, and this process occurs 2-4 times.
The main reason for male flowers not flowering during cloudy or rainy weather is due to the high humidity in the air. Therefore, spraying water on the male flowers in the early morning of a sunny day or soaking them in water can completely inhibit the flowering and pollen release on that day.
