Spring is here, and weeds are already sprouting. Here’s how to get a head start on weeding to lessen the spread.

Like other plants, weeds can be annual or perennial. Annual weeds, such as crabgrass and purslane, complete their entire life cycle in a single year — sprouting from a seed, growing into a plant, flowering, developing and releasing seeds, and then dying in fall. “It’s always easiest to remove annual weeds when they’re small, before they have a chance to set seeds in summer,” Yiesla said.