Maple Seedling Madness
Does your lawn seem to have fallen prey to a spreading, seemingly aggressive, non-grass seedling? In spite of your strict adherence to your lawn program; fertilizations, seeding, weed control, dethatching etc., and still your lawn looks like this:
Breath a sigh of relief, these are tree seedlings, mostly from maple species, not an invasive weed. Maples produced a heavy seed crop this year and they are some of the most vigorous and efficient germinators. The bumper crop was most likely produced in response to environmental stress of the last several seasons. Extreme temperatures, fluctuating weather patterns, drought and/or flood conditions, introduction or spread of invasive species and changing soil characteristics will all stress plants and may change their growth and reproduction rhythms.
Alleviation Alternatives
In most cases the majority of these seedlings will die off on their own, although the conditions for germination may have been right, growth to sapling will only happen for a small percentage of seeds. This is why the reproduction strategy entails putting out seeds in massive numbers. The rest of the seedlings will be eradicated with your regular lawn treatments that include weed control. Proper mowing will help as well. You know your property best, when you see changes that concern you, discuss them with your arborist and they will come up with a plan for action.
