Even the perfectly manicured
lawns come under attack from common weeds. Weeds are unwanted plants that
always seem to pop up in our lawn when and where we don’t want them. These
weeds do all in their power to blend in with a lawn, thus making it more
difficult to identify and target in comparison to the average dandelion. Many
weeds are acceptable grasses, while some aren’t grass and you don’t want them
in your yard. How well or not your yard copes with the onslaught depends on the
weeds involved, the response you choose, and the overall health of your lawn.
Understanding common lawn weeds and the options available to fight them is the
key to successfully preventing the invasion.
Learn more about some common
lawn weeds and weeds that look like grass that you should be looking out for:
Crabgrass- Crabgrass
is one of the most common and invasive weeds that look very much like grass
that often sprouts in late spring and in smaller patches throughout your yard
and has a distinctly coarse texture compared to the rest of your lawn.
Crabgrass spreads quickly and can permanently damage your lawn by crowding out
and smothering the grass surrounding it. Fortunately, crabgrass is an annual
plant, meaning it only survives for the season and the dies. It is important
that you look out for it and take proper action if you see crabgrass in your
yard.
The best way to get rid of crabgrass
is by nipping it in the bud meaning preventing its germination using a
pre-emergent herbicide. If crabgrass has germinated, either pull it by your hand or use a
direct herbicide to get rid of it.
Nutsedge- Nutsedge can look much like
a tall grass before blooming, and it is one of the more frustrating grassy
weeds as it grows rather rapidly and can be difficult to get under control due
to its hardy root systems. It will continue to come back every year unless you
put a stop to it. The biggest problem is that the weed spreads throughout your
yard (or from a neighbor’s lawn) both by airborne seeds as well as underground
rhizomes or tubers.
Pulling it is not an ideal
solution to get rid of this weed, the most effective way to prevent Nutsedge is
to grow a dense lawn that will crowd out Nutsedge and keep it
from being able to properly root and
grow those rhizomes and tubers that make it so invasive.
Smooth Bromegrass- It can grow
even in cold conditions and survives for quite a long time once it establishes
its feet. It can spread across your yard very quickly, especially if your lawn
is thin. To control and get rid of Smooth Bromegrass in your lawn, it is
advised that you mow it down low and crowd it out with a thick, healthy lawn
canopy. If the situation has gone out of your hand, resort to using a herbicide
designed to target this grass-like weed.
Examples of some other common weeds that look like grass:
1.
Wild Garlic
& Wild Onion
2.
Common
Couch
3.
Annual
Bluegrass
4.
Green
Foxtail
5.
Slender
Rush
6.
Tall Fescue
Careful selection of grass
species is essential in setting up a lawn. Creating a thick, dense lawn canopy
can play a huge role in preventing weeds from taking root in your grass, which
can be done by using a pre-emergent every spring for few years as you overseed,
fertilize, and using proper irrigation to improve your lawn. Last, but not the
least spot treatment with the appropriate herbicide will prevent any
problematic weeds from appearing in the first place itself.
Remember, well-maintained
yards offer the best defense against lawn weed invasions. Here are some tips to
keep your lawn grass healthy:
1.
Mow at the
recommended mowing height for your specific lawn grass type, which promotes
healthy root growth and increases resistance to diseases and pests.
2.
Mowing
should depend on grass growth, so time your mow in such a way that you can and
should remove no more than one-third of the length of the grass blades in a
single mowing.
3.
Feed your
yard well with quality weed & feed or fertilizer-only products.
4.
Proper watering
is important to encourage healthy, deep root growth. Water once or twice per
week rather than watering frequently.
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