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Ragweed – Ambrosia artemisiifolia. Photo Fritzflohrreynolds
Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) is a highly allergenic woody weed that proliferates on vacant lots, causing distress for asthma sufferers throughout North America. A new study has found that the most frequently used control method of yearly mowing makes the infestation much, much worse.
The study, published in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, looked at populations of ragweed on vacant lots in Detroit, MI, and compared management strategies from monthly mowing, to yearly mowing, to no mowing at all. Unfortunately the most common management was yearly or biennial mowing but this resulted in the worst infestations of ragweed.
The study recommends that rather than a yearly cut down, the best way to manage ragweed is with either frequent mowing, especially during the growing season, or no mowing at all. A no-mow strategy allows a forest canopy to re-establish, which shades out the ragweed.
[Study citation: Daniel S.W. Katz, Benjamin T. Connor Barrie & Tiffany S. Carey (2014). Urban ragweed populations in vacant lots: An ecological perspective on management. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 13(4), 756-760]
