Neck pain and spasms (involuntary muscle contractions) can occur anywhere from the back of your head, down toward your shoulders and along the sides of your neck, or toward the center of your neck (Figure 1).
Summer annuals germinate in the spring and grow during the summer and die with frost. One of the most pesky winter annual weeds is common chickweed. Homeowners tend to overlook its germination in the fall and only notice its presence in the spring when it begins to grow vigorously in thin and bare spots of the lawn.By June, chickweed is on the down hill side of its life span and will die out when the days become hot.We are a very reactive society, however, and when we notice the chickweed, we have an overwhelming desire to do something right now.tâs too late this year to go with pre-emergent herbicides. Chickweed and other winter annuals are already up and growing. Post-emergent herbicides should be applied after the weed is up and actively growing. The target application time should be from October to early March.
Dead diffuse knapweed plants act like tumbleweeds, with seeds dispersed over long distances. A Russian knapweed plant can produce up to 1,200 seeds that remain viable in the soil for 2 to 3 years. This weed does not produce as many seeds as diffuse and spotted knapweed because reproduction is primarily vegeta-tive.Depending on elevation of the site, knapweeds usually flower mid-summer and seed during early fall. Knapweed seeds are dispersed along roads, railways, and waterways.eeds can remain viable in the soil up to 8 years. Spotted knapweed plants have an aver-age life span of 3 to 4 years while diffuse knapweed plants usually die after reproduction. The seed heads of diffuse knapweed remain closed until the plant dries up and breaks off at ground level.