- Creeping Buttercup Usda
- Kill Creeping Buttercup In Lawn
- Creeping Buttercup For Sale
- How Do I Get Rid Of Creeping Buttercup In My Lawn
Contents
New Lawn Weeds
Contents
Mid APRIL
Creeping buttercup is common on wet lawns. Creeping buttercup is a herbaceous perennial weed, which is also known as creeping crowfoot and sitfast. It spreads via stolons (overground runners), rooting at the nodes. It is especially troublesome on wet soils and has a. Creeping buttercup is one of the most common lawn weeds in the UK, and you can find it in bloom from mid-spring to late summer. You can recognise it by its divided leaves, creeping stem and bright yellow flowers, each with between 6-9 petals. Description of Buttercup, Creeping (Ranunculus repens): Creeping buttercup can be found in poorly draining lawns and grows well in heavy clay. It grows low, and creeps with horizontal stems above the soil (stolons) which makes it easy to differentiate from other species of buttercup (which spread via rhizomes. Roots under the soil).
Trim the leaves and creeping stems from the plant with your gardening shears, leaving just enough above the ground to pull with your hands. Place the trimmings in a lawn waste bag. Plants typically produce five, shiny yellow petals in the early spring. There are four different species of buttercups that may be found in Kentucky: bulbous buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus), creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens), tall buttercup (Ranunculus acris), and small flower buttercup (Ranunculus arbortivus).
QUESTION:We just seeded a new lawn and we simplycannot believe how many weeds have come up.What can we use to control them and is there any way to prevent newweeds from appearing?
ANSWER:Don’t feel alone!Weed seeds are found in all topsoil.These weed seeds germinate right along withyour lawn seed.With good fertility,frequent mowing, and proper watering practices most annual weed will soondisappear.If they still persist 2months after seeding, it may be wise to use control recommendations.Under no conditions should selectiveherbicides be used on turf before it is at least two months old. There are anumber of weed and feed products which contain both fertilizer and a phenoxytype herbicide like 2,4-Dthat will killmany broad-leafed weeds when used according to labeled directions.Keep in mind that weed killers are plantkillers. To avoid damage to desirable plants, always carefully follow labeldirections.Spot treatments and lowpressure sprayers are good options.
Lawn Weed Maintenance
Early SEPTEMBER
QUESTION:Due to all of the rain we received in Augustour lawn is still green and actively growing. Unfortunately, the weeds are growing rightalong with the grass.Is there anyway toget rid of them once and for all?
ANSWER:Late summer and early fall is an ideal timeto deal with many lawn weeds.Weedmanagement involves more than the application of herbicides.The best defense against weeds is healthyturf.
Turf vigor increases withregular fertilization.WSU turfgrassspecialists recommend applying one pound of Nitrogen fertilizer per 1000 feetof turf four times a year and have made the dates easy to remember by choosingholidays for application times.Thefirst application should be made around Memorial Day, the second around July4th, the third around Labor Day and the fourth and final application duringThanksgiving week.Applying 5 pounds ofAmmonium Sulfate (21-0-0) per thousand feet will provide the required one poundof actual Nitrogen.Be sure to water thefertilizer in after application to prevent burning the grass.
Fertilizing the lawn now,however, will not get rid of established weeds.One big advantage to our unseasonably wet August is the fact that lawnweeds are actively growing.In addition,perennial weeds like dandelion and clover prepare for winter by pullingnutrients and starches from their leaves into their roots.By doing this, they also draw herbicides intotheir root systems, thus more effectively killing the weed. The more healthyand vigorous the weed, the more receptive it is to herbicide applications and,therefore, control. Weeds under stress will not absorb or translocate chemicalsunless conditions favor weed growth. Weed scientists sometimes go as far asrecommending that gardeners fertilize and water their weeds prior to anherbicide application in order to achieve better control!
The majority of broadleafweeds in lawns can be effectively controlled with phenoxy type herbicideapplications like 2,4-D used according to labeled directions. When practical,it’s best to apply herbicides directly to affected areas rather thanbroadcasting the herbicide onto the entire lawn. Those pressed for time can useone of the common Weed and Feed products which contain both fertilizer and weedkiller.Once a lawn is free of weeds,new infestations can be kept at a minimum by maintaining a healthy, vigorousturf with no bare spots.
Creeping Buttercup
Mid APRIL
QUESTION:For years we have been battling buttercup inour lawn.We have sprayed it and eventried digging it out but it continues to grow and spread.How can we control this specific weed?
ANSWER:Creeping buttercup is the most troublesome ofseveral members of the buttercup family.There are many native species of buttercup here in our coastal area, butthe weedy species are of European origin.Most likely they were introduced as ornamentals but escaped to becomeweeds throughout the United States. Creeping buttercup thrives in poorly drained soilsand is especially good at crowding out other plants because it also spreads bycreeping stems.
Homeowners have a couple ofoptions for controlling this pesky weed.If only a small area is infested, then digging out the plants willprovide effective control.It will beespecially important to get all of the roots to prevent reinfestation.Once the buttercup is removed, re-seeding thearea will help to prevent re-establishment of the plant from seeds in the soilprofile.
Another option is to use anherbicide which contains either triclopyr or MCPP dimethylamine plus dicamba asthe active ingredient.When usedaccording to labeled directions, both of these herbicides will effectivelycontrol creeping buttercup.
Getting rid of existinginfestations is only half the equation when it comes to the long lastingcontrol of buttercup in home lawns. In soil profiles with poor drainage,buttercup easily out competes turfgrass.To prevent reinfestation, soil drainage will need to be improved. Thiscan be done through the installation of drainage tiles or in some cases raisingthe elevation of the lawn area to prevent saturated soils.If left unchecked, buttercup can creepthroughout a lawn in a matter of several years validating that old adage “oneyear’s seeding brings seven years weeding!”
Creeping Speedwell
Mid APRIL
QUESTION:We have a small creeping weed in our lawnthat is in full bloom with tiny blue flowers.Our neighbor told us it is called speedwell.How can we control it?
ANSWER:Creeping speedwell is a fairly common weedthroughout Western Washington.Homegardeners sometimes actually plants this weed for its beautiful pale blueblossoms which occur each spring.Unfortunately it has a fairly aggressive growth habit and can become anuisance weed in home lawns.Creepingspeedwell is not controlled by most of the herbicides used on turfgrass such as2,4-D and MCPA.The only recommendationcurrently provided by WSU is the pre-emergent herbicide DCPA used according tolabeled directions.Those not wanting tomake a chemical application can reduce the potential for speedwell invasion ofturfgrass areas by maintaining healthy, vigorousgrass stands.
Velvet Grass
Mid APRIL
QUESTION:We have a number of “grass weeds”in our lawn.Our neighbor told us that some of them are velvet grass.How do we get rid of these?Is there a herbicide that we can use thatwill kill only these grass weeds and not the lawn grass?
ANSWER:Old turf areas eventually become invaded andoften dominated by naturalized grasses like velvet grass.Unfortunately, there are no herbicidesavailable that will selectively kill these weedy grasses and not injure otherdesirable lawn grasses.Weedy grassescan be killed out by using a non-selective herbicide containingglyphosate.To optimize the kill ofweedy grasses, leave them un-mowed for several weeks.Vigorously growing weeds will be moresusceptible to herbicide applications.Make sure the herbicide is applied only to the grasses that you wish tokill.Reseeding with one of therecommended turfgrass mixtures can be done once the weedy grasses havecompletely died and the residue can be removed – approximately 2 to 3 weeks.
Lawn Moss
Mid APRIL
QUESTION:We still have a lot of moss in our lawn, eventhough the grass has started growing vigorously.What can we use to kill the moss?
ANSWER:WSU recommends applying Ferrous Sulfate formoss control.This iron compound isfrequently sold in combination with a fertilizer product like ammoniumsulfate.The iron kills the moss oncontact, while the ammonium sulfate encourages grass growth.Make sure you keep the Ferrous Sulfate offsidewalks and driveways to prevent iron stains.
Mushrooms in the Lawn
Late JUNE
QUESTION:We are having problems with mushroomsgrowing in our lawn.They seem to begrowing in a circular pattern.What’scausing this?How do we get rid of them?
ANSWER:Based on your description, I suspect what youare describing are Fairy Rings.Theseare quite common in lawns in this area.The mushrooms start to grow in a particular spot and spread outward in aring-like pattern from a few inches to several feet in a year.On the outside of the ring the grass will bedark green and vigorous, but inside the grass will be brown.The fungus is using nutrients that the grassneeds, but more importantly, its thread-like mycelia are often so packed down,that water, even during wet periods, can’t penetrate to the grass roots.
Some success in getting ridof a Fairy Ring infestation may be possible by watering heavily and deeply inthe infested area.In order to achievethis, you may have to punch holes about a foot apart inside the ring to promotewater penetration. When the mushrooms appear, don’t let them develop spores,since each spore is like a seed and produce even more mushrooms.Eventually they will disappear.There is currently no chemical controlrecommended.
Early NOVEMBER
QUESTION:After our recent rains, we noticed hundredsof little mushrooms had popped up in our lawn.What is the best way to get rid of these?
ANSWER:Although mushrooms, toadstools, puffballs andother assorted fungi may be unsightly, they also indicate something good ishappening in the soil.These growths areonly the top portion of an extensive fungus organization in healthy soil thatis breaking down organic material.
In the process of decayingparticles and changing them to humus, various mineral elements and nutrientsare released from the organic material by the fungus growth.Mushrooms and toadstools are not usuallydamaging to the grass, but they may disrupt the appearance of the home landscape.To remove them, simply mow the lawn or rakethem out of the grass.They willdisappear when lawn conditions become drier or the outdoor temperatures becomecolder.
Late OCTOBER
QUESTION:We cannot believe how many mushrooms haveappeared in our lawn and landscape beds in just the past two weeks!What’s the best way to get rid of them?
ANSWER:Mushrooms, also commonly called “toadstools”,are the spore-producing structures of fungi.Most of these fungi are beneficial since they break down organic matterand release nutrients that are necessary for plant growth.This time of year, when the weather begins tocool and fall rains begin, mushrooms often pop up in lawns almost overnightcausing people to wonder where they’re coming from and how to control them.
Mushrooms produce tinyseed-like bodies called spores, which easily blow about in the wind.When these spores reach a favorable place togrow, they germinate and send out long threadlike growths called hyphae.These hyphae decompose wood, fallen leaves, lawnthatch and other organic matter absorbing a portion of it as food.A single strand of hyphae is too small to seewithout a magnifying glass.Sometimesthe hyphae grow together in the soil to form masses called mycelium.When the mycelium has developed sufficiently,mushrooms are produced.Themushroom-producing fungi can live in the soil for years and produce mushroomswhenever the weather is favorable.
It’s important to understandthat the mushrooms that are now visible in lawns are developing on thatch(decomposing grass leaves and stems) or dead tree roots.The fungi that produce the mushrooms areharmless to grasses and landscape plants.There are no chemicals (fungicides) that are effective in controllingmushroom producing fungi.If the mushroomsare coming from dead roots, the best control is to dig the roots up.If excessive thatch is causing the problem,then de-thatching the lawn in the fall is the best solution.De-thatching removes the fungi’s foodsource.Simply removing the mushroomsmay make your lawn look better, but it will not kill the mycelium from whichthe mushrooms grow.
In lawns, mushrooms sometimesgrow in circular patterns called fairy rings.Fairy rings are caused by certain fungi which may or may not producemushrooms.In some cases, the soil inthe ring becomes so matted by the fungus mycelium that water cannot movethrough it.As a result, the grass inthe ring grows poorly, and may actually die from lack of water.The best solution to this problem is toaerate the soil in the ring, then water deeply.This should improve turfgrass root growth and eliminate, or at leastreduce, the effects of the fungus.
White Clover
Late JUNE
QUESTION:Even if it is the official shamrock plant of Ireland, we don’t like having white clover in our lawn. Isthere a simple way of getting rid of it?
ANSWER: Youcould try digging it out, but that would be effective provided you get all ofthe roots and then reseed with a turfgrass mix. Another option would be to sprayit with an herbicide.WSU Extension WeedScientists recommend using weed killers containing either Dicamba or triclopyr.When used according to labeled directions, either one will effectivelyeliminate clover. Wait until the clover is actively growing before spraying thefoliage.
Corticum Red Thread
Late NOVEMBER
QUESTION:We can’t believe it!Our lawn is turning pink!What’s causing this?Should we spray it with something?
ANSWER:Based on the symptoms you described, Ibelieve your lawn has fallen victim to a disease commonly referred to asCorticum Red Thread.When the disease iswell developed, light pink to red fungus strands grow from the tips of thegrass blades and leaf sheaths to give the lawn a reddish-pink color. This diseaseis fairly cosmetic and rarely kills any grass.Red Thread is more severe on lawns low in vigor.
This disease can becontrolled with cultural practices alone. Fertilize with adequate nitrogen in abalanced nutritional program.WashingtonStateUniversity turfgrass specialists recommend a final fertilizerapplication for the year should be made during November.For best quality lawns, apply 1 pound ofnitrogen per 1000 square feet of turf area.
If you’re like most homeowners, you’ve had to combat weeds in your lawn. But to properly remove and eliminate weeds from your yard (and keep them from coming back), you need to know what kind of weeds they are, and how to treat them. In this article I’ll provide a guide to lawn weed identification so you can efficiently clear weeds from your lawn.
Getting to Know the Weed Categories
To identify weeds in your lawn, and address the problem so they don’t come back, you need to understand what type of weed you’re dealing with. To do this, you must first understand that there are 2 main categories that weeds fall into:
- Grass-like weeds, and
- Broadleaf weeds.
And within those two primary types of weeds, there are sub-categories:
- Annual weeds (weeds that grow from seed every year and die at the end of the growing season), and
- Perennial weeds (weeds that come back year after year).
In this article I’ll profile the most common lawn weeds within all four groups (both perennial and annual grass-like weeds, and perennial and annual broad-leaf weeds).
At the end of the article you should be equipped to identify the weeds in your lawn (and effectively treat and remove them).
Weeds: Why We Hate Them
Those pesky little plant imitators that seem to grow endlessly despite all efforts to eradicate … are back!
Weeds are often green, leafy, and sometimes they fit right in with the rest of the grass we grow in our yards.
But weeds are different than grass – they suck the nourishment out of even the best-looking lawns and gardens, and crowd out the soft, uniform grass we all strive to grow in our lawn.
Left unabated, weeds will take over your lawn, suffocate your plants, and make your lawn appear patchy, thin, and ugly.
I often find myself wishing that turf grass was as tough and resilient as lawn weeds. But I guess if it was easy to maintain a perfect lawn, everyone would do it.
Mowing too often, watering shallowly, improper fertilizing methods, and poor soil conditions, are all ways inexperienced homeowners foster the perfect habitat for various types of weeds.
So let’s get into my guide to lawn weed identification so you know what kind of a problem you have in your lawn, and how to solve it.
Why Lawn Weed Identification is Important
Luckily, not all weeds cause harm to your plants, or your turfgrass.
Clover is a good example of this … it’s a legume that actually turns air into Nitrogen and feeds the soil in your yard. But most people still want it gone from their lawns.
With so many different types of weeds knowing how to identify lawn weeds and combat each species in your yard is crucial if you’re looking for a long-term fix.
Use the wrong product and you could end up killing your grass, not your weeds.
Common Types of Lawn Weeds
You’ve encountered these different plants in many ways. Whether in your lawn, on the sidewalk, or at the park, weeds have made their way in or around your life and it’s time to break things down.
Some weeds are annual, dying off after one season, and others are perennials, which will grow back every spring.
Below are two types of weeds and some common species, broken down by their seasonal patterns, life cycle,in and control methods.
Creeping Buttercup Usda
Broadleaf Lawn Weeds
Broadleaf weeds can be identified by the shape of their leaves. In general, weeds in this category do not resemble grass, and they are easy to identify and locate within your lawn.
To help with lawn weed identification, I’ll highlight some of the most common annual and perennial broadleaf weeds below.
Annual Broadleaf Lawn Weeds
These are the most common types of annual broadleaf weeds you may encounter in your lawn.
Carpetweed
Some are small with little white flowers and others don’t bear flowers. These summer annuals spread through seeds and will germinate quickly as the soil beings to warm up.
Control Methods – You can pull these weeds out by hand or with tools. When caught early on, hand pulling can be very effective, but as the infestation of carpetweed in your lawn grows it’s best to use chemical treatments to eliminate it.
When maintaining your lawn keep the grass dense and healthy. Herbicidal treatments to use for Carpetweed are; 2,4-D, MCPP, Dicamba or Triclopyr. I recommend the Southern Ag herbicide (Amazon link) for Carpetweed.
Make sure to read the instructions carefully and follow all safety procedures.
Common Lespedeza (Japanese Clover)
Common Lespedeza is a summer broadleaf annual weed that grows to 15-18 inches wide.
Japanese clover is very wiry and almost bush-like when present in a grouping of weeds. They grow low to the ground and will quickly crowd out and smother grass if left untreated.
Dark leaves are met with three smooth leaves and a singular pink and purple flower. These lawn weeds grow in under-fertilized, poor, soil.
Control Methods – Hand pulling and weeding tools can be utilized to catch an early onslaught of Japanese Clover in your lawn. It can be difficult to pull, so I recommend waiting until the soil is moist.
If you find Japanese clover in garden beds, 2- to 3-inches of mulch can help prevent further seed germination. Herbicides such as; Speedzone, 2,4-D, MCPP, Dimension Ultra, Dicamba, and many more, will help.
Again – I’ve had luck with Southern Ag’s herbicide for broadleaf weeds, which you can find on Amazon.
Knotweed
Knotweed is a summer annual broadleaf that loves to smother turf grasses and destroy lawns.
These plants grow low, long, and wide, with stems that create a carpet-like appearance. Often dark and thin, these plants can produce small yellow or white flowers at maturity.
Control Methods – Prostrate Knotweed can be mitigated by hand-weeding early before it becomes established. You must dig out its roots to ensure they’ve been dealt with, or Knotweed will keep coming back.
In garden beds, mulch will deter seed germination, and once it’s established, your best bet is to use chemical methods to eliminate Knotweed in your lawn.
2,4-D, MCPP, Dicamba, Triclopyr, Roundup, Gallup, and many other herbicides you can buy locally or on Amazon will prove effective against this broadleaf lawn weed. There are natural methods of weed control you can try as well if you’re trying to stay organic.
Prostrate Spurge
Prostrate Spurge is a common summer annual broadleaf weed that is easy to identify. It grows low to the ground with oval-shaped leaves, making Spurge a distinct and recognizable weed.
Flowers aren’t developed on Spurge, but there’s often a red spot where a flower would be located when Spurge reaches maturity.
These weeds can be found in lawns, sidewalks, and cracks of cement blocks.
Control Methods – Prostrate Spurges, like many other broadleaf plants can be taken out by hand. This is a time-consuming approach, but you avoid the risks that come with spraying herbicides, and it’s what I recommend for small groupings of Prostrate Spurge.
The thick stems make it easy to grab and pull out, as long as the soil is moist.
Herbicides are a great solution to eliminate advanced weed growth and substantial infestations of Spurge in your lawn.
Ferti-Lome Weed-Out (Amazon link) is what I recommend, but Dismiss Turf, MCPP, and other herbicides are also effective against Spurge.
Purslane
A summer annual broadleaf, Purslane grows well with other abundantly growing weeds, plants, and thrives in compacted soils.
Purslane weeds branch outward, as far as 3 feet out from the root.
Leaves are blue-green with no flower. The stem is thin, red(maroon), and visibly protruding. Purslane weeds grow by seed and can produce little yellow flowers at maturity.
Control Methods – Pulling purslane is a pretty easy way to remove individual plants. The process is similar to Prostrate Spurge, as the stem allows for a good grip. Pull this weed when the soil is moist for best results.
If you have a lot of Purslane in your lawn, you may decide to treat it with herbicides. Use Roundup, Montery LG 5600, Hi-Yield Ferti-Lome, MCPP, or Dicamba. Most broad-leaf herbicides will be effective, and many won’t impact the health of your lawn grasses.
The Southern Ag broadleaf weed killer (Amazon link) is my choice. It works really well on all broadleaf weeds. Just be sure to follow all safety recommendations when applying it to your lawn to kill Purslane.
Perennial Broadleaf Lawn Weeds
These perennial varieties need to be controlled aggressively, or they can take over your lawn, as they come back year after year.
Broadleaf Plantain
A short stalk with broad leaves and five veins at the base makes it easy to identify Broadleaf Plantain in your lawn.
The flower shoots erectly and appears almost prickly but the flowers are soft.
Broadleaf Plantain looks almost like a badly unfolded cabbage, with dark leaves that are thick and leathery, and a tower head.
Low fertilizer application and compacted soils will foster a great environment for plantain weeds, so fertilizing your lawn and aerating your turf are effective at discouraging its growth in your yard.
Control Methods – Manual removal (pulling) of Broadleaf Plantain is more difficult than annual broadleaf weeds. The root goes deeper, and the leaves grow near to the ground which makes it more challenging to pull the root.
You can use tools like the Fiskar’s Stand Up Weeder to uproot these weeds – they work well if you only have a few instances of weeds in your lawn and don’t mind keeping on top of them manually once a week.
Chemically, you can use herbicides such as Roundup, Hi-Yield Ferti-Lome, Broadleaf Weed Killer, 2,4-D, MCPP, and others.
I generally encourage homeowners to take a manual approach for low instances of weeds, and use herbicides to spot treat large weed infestations.
Buttercup
Summer perennials weeds like Buttercup masquerade as decorative plants. I know my daughter loves to pick them, and she also loves to pick dandelions, so when she was very young I accepted their presence in my lawn for a while.
But identifying these lawn weeds is easy. Flowers bear 5-7 petals and hang on to individual stems that rise vertically.
Buttercups are not quite as invasive as lawn ivy (purple or white flowers instead of yellow), but spread in much the same manner, and detract from the uniform green lawn most homeowners hope to achieve in their yard.
Control Methods – Because it’s a perennial weed, you must get buttercup roots out of your lawn. The bulb-like root can make it a little difficult to manually uproot so do your best to take care and pull these weeds only when the soil is moist.
Chemically, you can use almost any broadleaf weed killer to treat buttercups or lawn ivy. 2,4-D, MCPP, Dicamba, Scotts Ortho Weed-B-Gon (Amazon link), and many other herbicidal treatments for broadleaf plants will be effective.
Dandelion
Probably one of the more common lawn weeds that we’re all familiar with is the Dandelion.
Sometimes these weeds are left alone due to their alluring appearance (I mentioned how my daughter loves to pick them). But they spread like wildfire.
The flower is yellow and they mask themselves as miniature sunflowers, which are popular with pollinators.
Perennial dandelions return every year and can spread rapidly by wind, releasing up to 15,000 seeds per plant.
Control Methods – You can uproot dandelions by hand while the soil is still moist. Tap-rooted plants, such as dandelions, allow for easier pulling (on young plants), but it can be challenging to get the whole taproot from an established Dandelion plant.
Try to mow your lawn at the proper height, and don’t mow your lawn too short, as this favors further weed growth.
Many homeowners who don’t wish to deal with Dandelions apply chemical treatments. A good pre-emergent herbicide application in the spring can keep Dandelions from germinating early and give your lawn a head start to crowd out weeds, and post-emergent herbicide treatments are effective at killing established Dandelions in your yard.
Pennington UltraGreen Weed and Feed 30-0-4 (Amazon link) is a good choice to suppress dandelions, and any of the broadleaf herbicides mentioned earlier in this article will also be effective against Dandelions.
Grassy Lawn Weeds
Annual Grass-Like Lawn Weeds
Bluegrass
While Kentucky Bluegrass is one of the most popular types of turfgrass in the US, stringy summer annual bluegrass is considered a weed.
Annual Bluegrass can grow up to 2 ft tall and its leaves make it difficult to differentiate between it and other turf grass types.
The problem with annual grasses is they are very aggressive, and will crowd out your perennial lawn grass. Over time, this will create a thin, patchy lawn that will host countless other weeds.
Control Methods – Hand pulling bluegrass is difficult, although effective, and should be done with gloves.
To prevent further growth, make sure the lawn is cut at about 3-4 inches to prevent seed-heads from forming, and over-seed any empty spots in the grass with a good perennial turfgrass.
Chemical treatments can kill annual bluegrass as well. You can use; Pylex Herbicide, Selective Weed Killers, or Treflan.
My recommendation is to control annual bluegrass seasonally by applying a good pre-emergent in the spring. This allows your lawn grasses to crowd out and smother annual bluegrass seedlings by delaying their germination every year. I like the organic pre-emergent offered by Jonathan Green (Amazon link). It’s effective, and safe for kids, pets, and beneficial insects.
Crabgrass
Apart from Dandelions, there is perhaps no other lawn weed quite as notorious as crabgrass.
This stringy summer annual grass with narrow leaves that protrude from a flat fringy base is easy to spot due to its light color relative to most turf grasses.
These weeds can produce up to 150,000 seeds per plant in a single season. While it is an annual lawn weed, identification and eradication is important. If left untreated it will take over and smother your lawn in a few years.
Control Methods – Hand pulling crabgrass is difficult, as it is with most grassy lawn weeds.
Chemically, you can use; Pennington UltraGreen Crabgrass Preventer, Pylex Herbicide, Selective Weed Killers, and Treflan.
The market is saturated with crabgrass preventer products since it is such a common problem in lawns.
In my lawn, the areas where I struggle with crabgrass every year are near the road, where the blow scrapes the turf bare every winter.
I over-seed those sections of my lawn each spring, and use Scott’s starter fertilizer and crabgrass preventer. This allows me to grow a nice thick lawn there every season while blocking the crabgrass. A lot of pre-emergent products will block grass seed from germinating. This one doesn’t, and it’s one product I swear by.
Goosegrass
Goose Grass is a stringy summer annual that can grow up to 2 ft. tall. With this growth potential you wouldn’t think that it would spread outward from the base like Crabgrass, but it does.
Kill Creeping Buttercup In Lawn
This growth habit makes it damaging to lawns as it will quickly crowd out desirable turf grasses in your yard.
Control Methods – Like the other annual grassy weeds, Goosegrass is difficult to pull by hand.
It responds to most crabgrass preventers, and pre-emergent treeatment of your lawn in the spring is the best way to get Goosegrass under control on your property.
Pennington UltraGreen Crabgrass Preventer, Pylex Herbicide, Selective Weed Killers, and Treflan all work well.
Perennial Grassy Lawn Weeds
While annual grassy weeds get most of the attention from homeowners, perennial grass-like weeds can cause big issues over time.
Here is how to identify 3 common perennial grass-like weeds.
Dallisgrass
Lawn weed identification of Dallisgrass is pretty easy as its growth habit is unique.
Dallisgrass is a perennial grass that grows in clumps which quickly spread across a lawn if untreated.
Leaves are yellowy-green in color and less than half an inch in width. They can grow from 1 inch to 3 inches.
Dallisgrass can easily blend in with real grass if you have a poor quality lawn, but it has a faster growth habit, and will noticeably protrude above your lawn in the days after mowing while the rest of your lawn is still shorter.
Some people confuse Dallisgrass and Crabgrass, but the width of this plant and its growth habit is different (the base of Dallisgrass is typically wider).
Control Methods – Dallisgrass can adapt to areas with improper drainage systems very well, so you’ll often find it in wet areas of your lawn. It’s tough to pull Dallisgrass by hand to remove it, so this can be a good punishment for kids who have misbehaved (cheap labor!).
Most crabgrass preventer pre-emergent treatments are effective against this perennial, but post-emergent herbicides might be necessary if your lawn isn’t thick enough to crowd it out.
Pennington UltraGreen Crabgrass Preventer, Pylex Herbicide, Selective Weed Killers, and Treflan will all work well.
Nimblewill
If you have Nimblewill in your lawn, it will be easy to identify. It’s different than Crabgrass and most other grass-like weeds, but it also will stand out from your standard turf-grasses.
Stringy, and often clumpy, Nimblewill develops a littler slower in color, making it noticeably visible in grassy pastures and lawns.
Nimblewill prefers to grow in shade. This means it will often be the first grass to go brown in hot sun or heat. This is a helpful lawn weed identification trick for this grassy perennial intruder.
Control Methods – Healthy grass can deter grassy weeds from germinating and spreading, but when weeds are present you can always do the natural labor of pulling it by hand. That said, if Nimblewill roots are left, the weed will grow back.
Chemically, you can use most crabgrass preventers to control Nimblewill; Pennington UltraGreen Crabgrass Preventer, Pylex Herbicide, Selective Weed Killers, and Treflan.
Quackgrass
You may have Quackgrass in your lawn. This is a stringy perennial grassy weed that can grow up to 3 feet tall.
The leaves of Quackgrass are blue-green in color and thin with a rough texture. It resembles a lot of ornamental grasses you can buy at the garden center.
Control Methods – Poor lawn maintenance is a haven for grassy weeds, and applying a crabgrass preventer early in the spring is the best way to keep grassy weeds under control in your lawn.
Lawn Weed Identification is the First Step
Most of these weeds, whether broadleaf or grassy, can be controlled the same way across their specific types.
After your lawn weed identification questions have been answered, it’s time to get after them and use the proper treatment to remove them from your lawn.
Act quickly, so you don’t allow these weeds (especially perennial weeds) to gain a foothold in your turf.
Remember – whenever you’re using herbicides, read the product details before use and wear protective equipment to keep yourself safe.
Creeping Buttercup For Sale
Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to protect your kids, garden plants, and animals, and pay attention to the weather so your weed treatment is effective the first time.
How Do I Get Rid Of Creeping Buttercup In My Lawn
You May Also Enjoy: