Chenopodium album L.

Reproducing only by seed, Lamb’s-quarters has a fibrous root system Lamb’s-quarters is very widespread throughout Canada, occurring in cultivated fields, pastures, wasteland, roadsides, gardens and almost anywhere the soil is disturbed. Stems are 20-200cm high, branched or unbranched, smooth, green or with reddish or purplish lengthwise stripes and ridges.

First 2 or 4 true leaves apparently opposite (2 per node), but all later leaves and branches distinctly alternate (1 per node); leaves stalked, the blades 3-10cm long, lance-shaped or more often broadly triangular with irregular, usually shallow teeth; leaves green or grayish due to a covering of a white mealiness or powderiness, sometimes with reddish undersurface on young plants.

Flowers very small, greenish, densely grouped together into small, thick, granular clusters along the main stem and upper branches, having 5 green sepals but no petals; seeds small, rounded in outline, somewhat flattened, 1-1.5mm in diameter, enclosed in a very thin, membranous, smooth, whitish covering (pericarp) which is readily fractured and lost when dry. Flowers from June to August.

Lamb’s-quarters is very widespread throughout Canada, occurring in cultivated fields, pastures, wasteland, roadsides, gardens and almost anywhere the soil is disturbed.

Lamb’s-quarter Management.

The best control method is to prevent infestation and spreading by minimizing seed production. Tillage is another useful control method, because common lambsquarters cannot recover from uprooting or mechanical damage. While lambsquarters will germinate throughout the summer, control will be more effective if tillage is timed to correspond with peak emergence and is repeated to allow establishment of a dense crop canopy. This tillage practice will greatly reduce the number of plants, stunt plants growing under a crop canopy, and result in few seeds. Mowing is another way to prevent seed production.

Herbicides effectively suppress lambsquarters during peak germination and when a crop canopy is established. Any postemergence herbicide recommended for broadleaved weeds may be used. For full-season suppression, herbicides with long residual action in the soil are more effective than others