You are looking through one of the ugly weeds that grow taller than Terry’s head (he is 6’2″ tall) has a billion tiny seeds (you can see their little casings still left on the branches).  Just a small, ever so slightly touch will send the seeds cascading through the air and down to the ground waiting for SPRING! Kochia-Chenopodiaceae of the Goosefoot family a noxious plant.

The above is on our neighbors’ farm’s fence…I work diligently to keep this stuff from growing within the farm yard.  The farm itself is on it’s own.  The stems get 4-5 inches around when in full height. It’s a bugger to chop down once it’s at that height.  Lots of people just let it grow, die off from the freezes, and let the wind shift them here and there and everywhere…sort of like tumble weeds.  Although, these don’t tumble.

Once more this is a plant that originated in some other country—ASIA, introduced to Europe and then carried across to North America as a wonderful, delightful, ornamental for the back of someone’s flower bed.

I’ll bet they regretted the first year they they planted it.

This plant is one reason I wish we still had cows.  Cows love it, so do sheep and goats, but only in the early stages of growth, once it gets ankle high the plant is safe.

I’ve been out trying to gather and destroy this dried up weed, although the seeds have already spilled.  I can at least get rid of the stalks.

It’s also a good time to get rid of any and all winter annuals….cheat grass, for one.

Of course, if you are living in that horrible winter storm and deadly arctic air, you aren’t thinking of weeds.

Here we are way too dry and way too warm for this time of year.  It is really scary — one half of the USA is freezing and the other is drying up.

Prayers and Magic Thoughts, with crossed fingers, for everyone to be safe and warm and dry in that huge winter storm.  Here I offer the same for water to quiche the ground, fill the reservoirs and provide drinking water.

Your Friend,

Linda