Without a professional service, it's tough to eradicate grassy weeds without harming your lawn due to their biological similarities, so prevention and targeted treatments are key. For example, spraying crabgrass killer at the wrong time can kill your grass seeds. Instead, aim to control grassy weeds by keeping your lawn dense and healthy so they don’t stand a chance. If these turf grass imposters have already invaded your lawn, you can try a few other tactics to weed them out.
Defending With Lawn Health
The most effective weed control is a flourishing lawn because it’s more competitive and will crowd out grassy weeds. Weed seeds need light to grow, which a dense lawn blocks out. To keep your lawn lush, healthy and competitive, try:
- Fertilization: The right type and application method makes all the difference.
- Mowing: Done frequently at the recommended height with sharpened blades.
- Watering: When rainfall is scarce, water deeper rather than more frequently.
- Grass Selection: Factor in climate, sunlight, shade, etc., to pick the right turf grass.
Pulling Weeds
Hand-pulling grassy weeds can work if there are only a few, especially if they’re annuals. Perennial grassy weeds are harder to control by hand because you don’t always pull up the vegetative structure, which is what sprouts new weeds.
Herbicides
- Post-emergence herbicides control existing weeds. Unfortunately, because grassy weeds are in the same family as turf grass, these types of herbicides can also harm your lawn.
- Pre-emergence herbicides control seeds only—not existing weeds—making them safer for an established lawn. They work on most seed-based annuals and perennials.
The plan of attack depends on your region, type of turf grass and the specific weeds invading your lawn