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| Photo: Nancy Steinke |
I found a new weed growing in the kohlrabi patch. It is a parasitic vine called Dodder (Cuscuta cephalanthi).
This yellow threadlike plant starts out as a tiny seedling that is transported mechanically. It doesn’t appear to have a transport mechanism of its own. The wiry, twining stems attach to the host plant with tiny suckers. Once it has attached itself to the host, the stem portion dies. The plant continues to grow and entwine itself, often covering and smothering the host plant.
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| Photo: Nancy Steinke |
Control early infestation in the home garden by removing the dodder and any portion of the host plant that have been infected. Cut 1/8 - ¼ inch below the infected area, otherwise the dodder may regenerate from the haustoria left embedded in the host plant. Remove the dodder as soon as you notice it, certainly before it flowers and reseeds. Dispose of it in the trash, as sections that have attached to a host can live 5 – 10 days after being pulled and will reattach to a nearby host.
Find additional information on the invasiveness and control at these sites.
University of California Integrated Pest Management. http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7496.html