Dock
(Rumex crispus L.)
Perennial Broadleaves
Habitat Characteristics
The dock plant can be found in turf grass, orchards, nursery crops, landscapes, roadsides, meadows, pastures, and forage crops, but usually not cultivated row crops. It thrives on nutrient-rich, heavy, damp soils but does not tolerate cultivation.
Identification
Dock is a taprooted perennial developing a basal rosette of wavy-margined leaves and a sparsely leaved flowering stem reaching 2-5 feet in height. Young leaves are smooth, egg-shaped, with red spots on the upper surface. At maturity, fruit and flowering stems are conspicuously reddish brown. Greenish sepals are located within the flower, which turn brown at maturity. The seed is enclosed within the fruit.
Life History
Individual seeds are enclosed in a papery structure that facilitates distribution by wind or water. Seeds germinate in cool, moist soil from late spring through early fall as conditions permit. Perennial plants emerge from the taproot in mid spring, producing a robust rosette. Flowers are present from May to September.
Control Methods
Cultural Techniques
- tillage, cultivation, hand removal, mowing
Chemical Techniques
- See weed-herbicide matrix for effective and available herbicides
Web References
USDA – NRCS Plant Profile, Curly Dock
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=RUCR&photoID=rucr_2v.jpg
University of California IPM, Weed Gallery, Curly Dock
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/WEEDS/curly_dock.html
Invasive Species, The Source for Information and Images of Invasive & Exotic Species, Curly Dock
http://www.invasive.org/browse/subject.cfm?sub=6335
B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Curled Dock
http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/weedguid/curldock.htm
Weeds B.C., Curled Dock
http://www.weedsbc.ca/weed_desc/curled.html
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