Skip to content Skip to navigation
UMass Collegiate M The University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Visit
  • Apply
  • Give
  • Search UMass.edu
Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment
UMass Extension Fruit Program
  • Fruit Home
  • About
    • About the Fruit Program
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Program Sponsors
  • Publications
    • Annual March Message
    • Orchard BMP Manual
    • Small Fruit BMP Manual
    • New England Tree Fruit Management Guide
    • New England Small Fruit Management Guide
    • Fact Sheets
    • Fruit Notes
    • Healthy Fruit
    • Berry Notes
    • IPM Berry Blast
    • New England Grape Notes
    • NC-140 Massachusetts State Reports
    • Subscribe to Fruit Publications
  • Resources
    • Nutrient Management
    • Tall Spindle Apple
    • Apple Maturity Reports
    • Bud Stages Photos
    • Fruit Varieties
    • Invasive Pests
    • Useful Links
    • Clements Corner
  • Services
  • Research & Projects
    • Projects
    • Annual Reports
    • Tunnel Sprayer Blog
    • Research Videos
  • News & Events
    • News & Updates
    • Upcoming Events
    • Mass Aggie Seminars 2025
    • Northeast Extension Fruit Consortium
  • Make a Gift

Weeds

Weed Management

Several weeds are usually cited by growers as problem species. As a general rule, always look for new or unusual weed species in fields. Attempt to cultivate or hand remove these weeds before seeds are produced. Following is some information on the most troublesome weeds with suggestions for control. Specific recommendations for any herbicides mentioned below can be found in the tables that follow.

Common Chickweed (Stellaria media): Common chickweed is a winter annual with an extended germination period. Germination can usually begin in late August or early September and continue into the next spring. Seeds are produced in late spring and early summer. 2,4-D is not effective on this weed and labeled rates of SinbarTM applied at mulching over emerged chickweed are generally ineffective. Cultivation is impractical since the most competitive weeds are in the strawberry row where they also receive good winter protection. Effective control can be achieved with an application of DevrinolTM in late August. Since DevrinolTM does not control emerged weeds, it is important to make the application before emergence. While DacthalTM can also control this weed from seed, residual activity is too short to make this application cost effective.

Field Pansy (Johnny jump-up) (Viola, spp.): This winter annual weed has become a serious problem for many growers. As with chickweed, germination is in the late summer, fall, and early spring. Cultivation is impractical in the strawberry row. Unfortunately, the weeds in the row are often better winter protected and produce more seed than those in the row middles. There is currently no postemergence herbicide control of this weed. The only herbicide that can provide effective control from seed (preemergence) is DacthalTM which should be applied in late summer; however, DacthalTM is rarely used in late summer because of its cost and short residual (4-6 weeks). Only the first flush can be controlled with this method. Until better control options become available, growers will continue to have serious problems with this weed.

Yellow Wood Sorrel (Oxalis, spp.): This weed is perhaps the most troublesome for many strawberry growers. Several species exist. Some are perennials and some are winter annuals. Seed production usually occurs during harvest with the plants “spitting” their seeds across the strawberry rows. This, of course, allows free spreading of this weed across the field. As with the above-mentioned weed species, germination can take place over several months making control difficult. 2,4-D provides good control of oxalis plants if they are small and not hidden under the strawberry foliage. Therefore a late fall application, prior to mulching over dormant strawberry plants, can be at least partially effective. A 2,4-D application prior to renovation is usually not effective since seed dispersal has already taken place. SinbarTM also has some activity on this weed. Splitting the annual use rate of SinbarTM into a renovation and late fall (dormant) application can also provide some control. This weed usually shortens the life of a planting due to its quick spreading habit.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): While dandelion has been cited as a problem weed by many growers, acceptable control is possible. Dandelion is a “simple” perennial weed. Unlike other perennials, it does not spread by rhizomes, has a taproot, and uses seed dispersal as its primary method of reproduction. Seeds germinate in the fall and produce good size plants by November. None of the soil-applied herbicides currently registered in strawberry will control dandelion. The only effective control strategy is a late fall application of 2,4-D. This application must be made after the strawberry plants are dormant (no new growth, reddened leaves). If few plants are present, hand removal may be an option. Be sure, however, to remove the entire tap root or regrowth will occur.

The following Tables (24-26) provide information of on weed management and herbicide effectiveness in strawberries. Weeds can develop resistance to herbicides. The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) developed a grouping system based on the mode of action of different herbicides. WSSA Group numbers can be used as a tool to choose herbicides in different mode of action groups so mixtures or rotations of active ingredients can be planned to better manage weeds and reduce the potential for resistant species. Any questions about specific weed problems or weed management strategies should be directed to your local University or Extension Specialist. See Integrated Pest Management for Strawberries in the Northeastern United States for details on alternative weed management strategies.

  • Table 25. Herbicide Efficacy Against Common Weeds in Strawberries
  • Table 26. Weed Management in Strawberries
  • Table 27. Weed Management With and Without Herbicides in a Strawberry Planting
  • ‹ Table 24. Strawberry Pest Management Table
  • Up
  • Table 25. Herbicide Efficacy Against Common Weeds in Strawberries ›
  • Printer-friendly version

Table of Contents

  • About The Guide
  • General Information
  • Highbush Blueberries
  • Strawberries
    • Diseases
    • Insects
    • Table 24. Strawberry Pest Management Table
    • Weeds
      • Table 25. Herbicide Efficacy Against Common Weeds in Strawberries
      • Table 26. Weed Management in Strawberries
      • Table 27. Weed Management With and Without Herbicides in a Strawberry Planting
  • Brambles
  • Currants and Gooseberries
  • Grapes
  • Appendices - Resources & Conversion Tables
  • Authors

Connect with UMass Extension Fruit Program:

Facebook YouTube YouTube Podcast

Subscribe to Fruit Publications »

Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment

 

Stockbridge Hall,
80 Campus Center Way
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA 01003-9246
Phone: (413) 545-4800
Fax: (413) 545-6555
ag [at] cns [dot] umass [dot] edu (ag[at]cns[dot]umass[dot]edu)

 

Civil Rights and Non-Discrimination Information

College of Natural Sciences

Login for faculty and staff

CAFE Units

Mass. Agricultural Experiment Station

UMass Extension

UMass Research and Education Center Farms

UMass Cranberry Station

Water Resources Research Center

Interest Areas

Agriculture

Commercial Horticulture

Energy

Environmental Conservation

Food Science

Nutrition

Water

Youth Development & 4-H

Services

Pesticide Education

Plant Diagnostics Laboratory

Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory

Hot Water Seed Treatment

Water Testing / Environmental Analysis Laboratory

Projects

Conservation Assessment Prioritization System (CAPS)

Extension Risk Management/Crop Insurance Education

Mass. Envirothon

Mass. Herp Atlas

Mass. Keystone

MassWoods

North American Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative

RiverSmart

UMass Design Center in Springfield

Resources

Extension Sales Portal

Agriculture & Commercial Horticulture Resources

Community & Economic Vitality

Disaster Preparedness

Food Safety

Home Lawn & Garden

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Land Conservation Tools

Pollinators

Tick testing

Resources for Faculty and Staff

Extension Programs

4-H Youth Development

Agriculture

Crops, Dairy, Livestock and Equine

Fruit

Greenhouse Crops and Floriculture

Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry

Pesticide Education

Turf

Vegetable

Clean Energy

Climate Change

Food Science

Nutrition Education

Value-Added Food

Seal of The University of Massachusetts Amherst - 1863
©2025 University of Massachusetts Amherst · Site Policies · Accessibility