Your lawn versus weeds…it’s a constant battle. You pull them out and after just a few days of neglect, they’re back again. And it’s not only that, weeds seem to grow by any means in just about anywhere—even in tiny gaps between concrete walls and floors!
Weed seeds are spread by the wind, birds and even the soles of your shoes. But the soil itself is home to weed seeds which could lay dormant for 50 years, yet grow so fast when the conditions are barely good enough.
Some weeds are pretty but quite invasive. If you give them the opportunity, they will take over your lawn in a heartbeat. Some looks like grass but aren’t. So how do you know which is which?
We’ll help you identify common lawn weeds and how you can get rid of them:
Creeping Charlie
Also called ground ivy, creeping Charlie has broad, scalloped leaves and small purple flowers.
It’s a perennial, hardy weed that grows close to the ground.
Creeping Charlie invades lawns, flower beds and vegetable gardens pretty quickly because its vines have nodes that form roots upon contact to the ground.
That means even if you pull it out, the root nodes left behind can still turn into a new plant.
To get rid of creeping Charlie, use a weed killer that contains dicamba. Make sure you use it a few times in the spring or fall to make it too weak to survive winter. Timing is important when using herbicides with dicamba, otherwise, it won’t be successful.
You can also use smothering techniques to get rid of creeping Charlie. Just watch out when they start to reappear. Pull them out as soon as possible to prevent them from spreading out and making it more difficult to contain.
Dandelion
To say dandelions are persistent is an understatement.
They have brittle taproots that easily break. Pull them out and any remaining taproot still in the ground will not just re-sprout, but re-sprout into two plants.
Their propagation is easy both underground and aboveground.
Dandelions have roots that can grow up to 10 inches long. Above ground, the seeds are so light they can ride the wind making for a quick and widespread propagation.
All these make dandelion removal very difficult.
To get rid of dandelions in your lawn, you can use a postemergence herbicide that doesn’t kill grass, mulch or manually pull them out. However, make sure you remove all the taproots. Plucking the flowers as they appear will also help control its spread.
Crabgrass
You will find crabgrass growing in bare areas of your lawn.
They have leaves that roll at the base, forming a circle that makes it look like a crab. It doesn’t matter if you under water or over water your lawn—they will thrive in both conditions.
Mow weeds high to prevent seeds from getting to the ground and proliferating.
Increase grass density by topdressing with organic matter, practicing proper irrigation and mowing. You can also use pre-emergence herbicide to keep it from growing back. Make sure to consult with professionals to know the right time to apply herbicides.
Plantain
If you’ve ever seen this in your lawn, that’s a plantain you’re looking at.
They usually appear in springtime and continue to thrive throughout the summer.
You’ll usually find this perennial grass in shady areas with dry, compacted soil. Improper fertilizer application also contributes to its quick growth.
To control plantain, you can manually pull it out, use mulch or spot treat with post-emergence herbicide that contains dicamba, MCPP or triclopyr.
Purslane
It’s a succulent grass.
Its purple-green leaves and sprawling stems are fleshy. It grows close to the ground and has small, yellow flowers.
They thrive in hot, dry weather and sunny areas of your lawn or garden. You can also see them growing in the crevices between cracked cement and bricks.
Ignore them and it will choke down your lawn—they spread really quickly.
To control the growth of purslane, avoid seeding lawns in the summer and make sure your lawn doesn’t have thin areas. Mulching and using pre-emergence herbicide in the spring will also help. You can also use non-selective post-emergence herbicide or manually pull them out.
Get rid of weeds the easy way
Like we said, getting rid of weeds is a constant battle. As long as there is soil, there will always be weeds. You can spend your entire life crouching down and pulling them out and applying herbicides, but that will surely not be the end of it.
You can do it this way or you can pass it on to professionals who can do the work for you.
We at Help offers gardening and lawn care in Mansfield. We can get rid, control the growth of weeds and maintain your lawn and garden on a regular basis. This way, you are free from the burden of constantly fighting off weeds from invading your lawn and garden.
So if you choose to be free, call us at 0436350665 and we’ll be happy to give you a free quote.
