The first thing that you may be asking is what is epinasty? The definition of epinasty by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is a nastic movement in which a plant part is bent outward and often downward. Even simpler, it is the twisting and contorting of plant tissue.
Why do we love epinasty?
All property owners love to see epinasty. You may or may not admit it, or may not now what is was called, but just about everyone does. When you see a weed in your lawn, and it gets treated chemically, the death of the weed brings you joy. Even more joy is had when you can see the weed twisting and contorting to its death. It sounds sick, but it is true.
But, does this sick joy that we get come from removing a pest and achieving the desired results? It only makes sense. We are getting rid of the weed and helping to keep the lawn healthy. It is visual success.
What causes epinasty to happen?
When certain weed killers are applied, the chemical causes problems for the weed on a chemical level. The plant goes through rapid and uncontrolled growth. This is what causes the parts of the plant to twist and contort.
It has been discussed that some newer lawn treatments for weeds do not cause epinasty in the weed. Instead, it kills the plants by means other than uncontrolled growth. This is discussed because people love to see the death of the weed in a sort of sick way. The new treatments do not provide this show, even though they are just as effective, if not better at controlling the weed. So, it is best to remember, epinasty is fun, but just because the twisting and contorting is not happening does not mean that it is unsuccessful with some lawn treatments.