The MOST Common weeds you will be seeing!
Weeds are a real eye sore to those of us that relish over our turf like lawns. We feel the need to banished them as soon as they show their ugly sides. Basically they are a plant that grows in a place where it’s not wanted. If a weed is strong enough it can cause overcrowding and begin to squeeze out grass as well as rob vital nutrients from the grass roots. Weeds are categorized into annual and perennial. The most common perennial weed is the Dandelion – the one that causes the most displeasure in the lawn world! Weed prevention is all about survival of the fittest and your best defense is a healthy thick lawn that won’t allow any space for weeds to take hold.
Other common weeds that you will run across during the turf season will be:
- Plantain
- Henbit
- Ground Ivy/Creeping Charlie
- Purple/Wild Violet
- Crabgrass
- Clover
- Milk Thistle
To maintain an attractive lawn, you have to learn to manage weeds. Weed control in a lawn begins with a healthy, vigorous, dense stand of turf. Healthy turf helps control weeds by growing to fill bare areas, shading the soil surface, and shading newly emerged weed seedlings. Without sunlight, many weed seedlings cannot survive. An attractive, weed-free lawn can bring a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment to the homeowner.
Annuals are those weeds that produce seeds within 1 year after emergence. Those that emerge in the spring grow through the summer, and produce seeds in the fall are called summer annuals. Examples of summer annuals are crabgrass, goosegrass, spurge, and knotweed. Weeds that emerge in the fall, grow in the winter, and produce seeds in the late spring are called winter annuals. Examples of winter annual weeds are henbit, chickweed, and annual bluegrass.
Perennial weeds emerge, grow, and produce some structure that enables the plant to overwinter and resume growth year after year. These plants typically reproduce by vegetative mechanisms as well as seeds. Common examples are dandelions, clover, broadleaf plantain, ground ivy (also called creeping charlie), thistle, milkweed, wild violet, and henbit.
Most of the recommended turf-production practices, although not solely intended as weed control methods, do help control weeds. All production practices that promote healthy turf also help reduce weed establishment. This includes use of soil tests to maintain recommended pH, timely addition of recommended rates of fertilizer, controlled irrigation during periods of limited rainfall, insects and disease management, and proper mowing.
Although these practices are considered standard agronomic production tips, they can also help control weeds. As environmentalists, we must manage the turf to use its competitive ability to help control weeds.
Bare soil is a prime area for weed invasion. Bare areas should be reseeded, plugged, or left for adjacent grass to grow into. Areas reseeded or left void should be covered with mulch, such as grain straw, until turf fills the area.
Regardless of how well you manage the turf, weed seed germinate and seedlings emerge. You should rely on other control methods when this occurs.
Some scattered, individual weeds (wild garlic, for example) can be removed by hand. However, hand removal is a tedious and time-consuming process. Quality Lawn Services uses the least toxic Herbicides on the market today and they will reduce the time required to control weeds.