Ragweed Means Sneezing Season Is Near

By Phran Novelli

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Get 'em while they're NOT…flowering that is. There's lots of ragweed up and growing, and that means that soon, it will be blowing in the wind and you, or someone you know, will be blowing your nose.

Because ragweed's flowers aren't very obvious, it's the foliage you need to get familiar with. So check out the photo of ragweed leaves here to help you identify it. You'll find it alongside roadsides, driveways and even sneaking into garden beds.

Soon, it will be sneezing season, and ragweed pollen can blow for miles; getting into cars, your eyes, up your nose and right into windows you'd love to have open on a cool and breezy September day! So, if you want to keep allergies at bay in the weeks to come, you need to get after any ragweed near you right away.

Mowing won't work for long—ragweed regrows quickly and can flower in a week or two! So whack it to the ground, or put on gloves (to avoid irritation) and dig out what you can. Then cover that area with cardboard and top it off with a layer of mulch, to help to suppress ragweed around you and reduce your chances of saying 'Achoo!'