Weeds are a hassle, and most homeowners have them in their lawns. Here is a helpful guide to different lawn weeds and what can be done to manage them. Complete Lawn Care has trained professionals to assist you with your lawn. Contact us today if you need assistance. – See more here.

Crabgrass
Crabgrass is an annual grassy weed that can be a perennial problem in sunny lawns.

Crabgrass usually grows in lawns that are thin or weak, but it can always pop up in “hot spots” in any lawn. Hot spots are areas near driveways, curbs, patios, etc…

Each crabgrass plant can produce 50,000 seeds or more if allowed to go to seed.

Pre-emergent in the spring is the best way to control crabgrass, however, pre-emergent is only about 75 to 80% effective over the course of the summer. It is important to use post-emergent to kill crabgrass plants that breakthrough in hot spots before they go to seed.

 

Japanese Stiltgrass
Japanese Stiltgrass is a relative new comer to our area, having arrived around the early 1990’s from Asia.

This plant is very similar to crabgrass, but Stiltgrass will grow in shade or sun. Controlling this weedy grass is very similar to controlling crabgrass.

 

Nutsedge
Nutsedge is a very difficult weed to control and it has become more prevalent than ever over the last 10 years. Because it sprouts from seeds and tuberous bulbs called “nutlets” in the soil, nutsedge can be very challenging to control.

Although it looks like a grass, nutsedge belongs in its own special family of sedges. Typically sprouting up in May and continuing throughout the summer months, nutsedge grows much faster and taller than our preferred lawn grasses.

It takes specialty herbicides to control nutsedge selectively without harming the good grasses in your lawn. Chemicals such as Roundup™ will not work to control nutsedge.

Oxalis
There are two types of Oxalis or Woodsorrel, and both are common broadleaf lawn weeds that grow all summer.
Yellow Woodsorrel is much easier to control than its difficult cousin Creeping Red Woodsorrel.
Specialty herbicides work well to control these weeds, but repeat applications may be needed to get good control on the Creeping Red variety.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dandelion

Found throughout the United States, the perennial dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is easily recognizable by their bright, round yellow flowers and “rosette” leaf arrangement close to the ground. These flowers eventually end up as seed “puffballs” that are then dispersed in the wind, quickly spreading throughout your lawn or garden. As long as the temperature allows, these weeds can flower at any time but will close up when the sun goes down or if the weather is cloudy.

Dandelions can be hand weeded (be sure to get the whole root or they will grow back)or easily controlled using selective herbicides.

 

Mushrooms
Mushrooms are not like common lawn weeds such as dandelions and crabgrass etc… and their growth cannot be controlled.

Mushrooms are the result of the right temperatures and rainy weather and organic matter (what fungi eat) in the soil where you lawn grows.

Mushrooms typically pop up after rainy weather when the temperatures are between 50° and 90°F; the mushroom is the fruiting body (like an apple is to an apple tree) of the fungus that is growing within the soil below. When the fungus is ready to reproduce it sends up mushrooms to spread its spores; these lawn mushrooms will often grow where trees or bushes were removed, but some decaying roots remain in the soil.

Although mushrooms may look unsightly, they generally do not last for a very long time and they do not harm your grass. There are no treatments to control the growth of mushrooms.

For a list of other weeds and how to take care of them click here. Contact Complete Lawn Care to have one of our experience team members evaluate your lawn.