Weed Problems

Weeds are usually the biggest problem homeowners encounter with their lawns other than proper maintenance and watering.

Weeds are really just one type of plant that it has been decided through years of experience, that it would be better if it wasn't included in a spread of what we call turfgrass.

Weeds usually are fast growers, and may have a limited life-cycle. Weeds will often use up limited resources; they may or may not have a deep root system and typically do not handle being trimmed compared to turfgrass.

Weeds fall into 3 categories based on their physiology:

• Broadleafs

• Grassy Weeds

• Grass-like Weeds

We often get a question similar to this: if weeds are so prevalent, why don't we just grow them instead of grass? Usually, it's because a weed only grows during limited times during the growing season. For example, crabgrass doesn't start to appear in cool season areas until July and early August. If you opted to have a lawn made up of crabgrass, it would remain brown and lifeless from October to July.

 

Grassy Weeds

Grassy weeds are usually annual weeds that develop from seeds created the previous year. Those seeds may have been blown in on the wind, carried in by animals or birds.

The seeds lie dormant during the winter months and then sprout in the spring with the soil temperatgure reaches 55 - 60 degrees. Once the seeds germinate, they grow quickly.

Grassy weeds include:

• Crabgrass

• Foxtail

• Goosegrass

Controlling grassy weeds can be accomplished using pre-emergent herbicides that put down a layer that kills the grassy seeds as they first begin to germinate.

Grassy-like Weeds

Grass-like weeds at first glance look like a grass, but are relatively easy to distinguish from grasses. Upon close inspection, the stems are triangular in shape.

Grassy-like weeds include:

• Wild garlic/onion

• Yellow nutsedge

• Star-of-Bethlehem

Broadleaf Weeds

Broadleaf weeds are generally the easiest to identify of all the weeds. They have leaves that are broad, and are generally produced in pairs or multiples, have wide, flat leaves situated on a stem. Broadleaf weeds are distinctive from and are botanically not closely related to grasses and sedges.

Broadleaf weeds include:

• Broadleaf Dock

• Broadleaf Plantains

• Buckhorn Plantain

• Carolina Geranium

• Carpet Weed

• Chickweed

• Curly Dock

• Dandelion

• Ground Ivy

• Henbit

• Lambsquarters

• Violets

• White Clover

• Yellow Wood Sorrel

Weeds, Weed Types, & Weed Controls

Is it an Annual or a Perennial Weed?

Knowing the type of weed is important because it helps you identify what is the beed weed control.

Read more about Annual vs Perennial >>