The Smell of Spring

Wild Garlic

The spring season greets us with a variety of sensory stimulations.  We see plants put forth their new leaves.  Flowers arouse us with a burst of color.  Birds issue their mating call.  Our thoughts of garden-fresh fruits and vegetables make our mouth water.  Often, however,  these pleasant reveries are quashed by the piercing odor of freshly mowed wild garlic and wild onion.

Wild garlic and its closely related companion, wild onion, are a serious perennial weed problem in home lawns.  These weeds are unwelcome eyesores in normally dormant lawns. 

The weeds cause nearly identical problems, and their names are used interchangeably.  There are some important differences in the two weeds, however.  Wild garlic has nearly round, hollow stems, whereas wild onion has flat, solid leaves.  Another distinguishing characteristic of wild garlic, that is usually only seen in the south, is the formation of aerial bulblets.  These aerial bulblets are smaller versions of the underground bulbs.  The underground bulb is a miniature version comprised of "cloves" like the domesticated version.  The bulb of the wild onion resembles a small onion.

The leaves and bulbs of both species can be used for cooking to impart flavor to bland foods.  They can serve as a replacement for the store-bought version.  Wild garlic may be a little strong for some people's taste buds, however.  Caution: To prevent possible poisoning from weeds that resemble wild garlic and onion, eat plants only if they have an onion-like odor. 

An interesting historical note is that the name for the city "Chicago" was taken from the Indian word "shikato" meaning ‘place where wild onions are strong-smelling.’

          When you are mowing the lawn in the spring and are engulfed with the smell of onions, just think of it as preparing a giant salad.  Maybe if you can convince your neighbors that these weeds are good to eat, they will come and mow your lawn for you just to get free garlic! 

         If you do not like to eat wild garlic (or onions) then it is time now to take action to control it.  Wild garlic and wild onions are difficult to control due to their cylinder shaped waxy leaves and large storage bulbs below ground.  Therefore, to get the best bang from a post-emerge herbicide application the herbicide needs to be applied while the wild garlic is actively growing and has tender tall leaves that have not been cut off with the lawn mower.  The best opportunity for controlling this troublesome weed is while your lawn is still dormant. Particularly for centipede and St. Augustine lawns that are more sensitive to many post-emerge herbicides.

          Recommended herbicides for homeowners that have good to excellent activity on wild garlic include imazaquin and the three-way combination herbicides such as 2,4-D, MCPP, and dicamba, Always read product labels carefully for safety to turf species and use rates.  And NEVER eat weeds that have been treated with a pesticide.