Some broadleaf weeds are very difficult to control.  Special treatments are required to control some weeds, while other weeds may be poorly controlled regardless of the treatment.  Dixie Green will use the methods that will provide the best possible control.

Spotted spurge is an example.  Spurge grows aggressively in hot, dry weather.  Thin spots in a lawn can be overtaken by spurge.  Since spurge grows well in hot weather when turfgrass may be weak, additional applications of materials to control spurge may damage the lawn.

Some other weeds may show good initial control, but regrowth may occur.  Repeat treatments are requried just to keep these weeds in check, but total control is difficult.

A thick vigorous lawn in the best defense against any weed problem.  Proper mowing, watering, and fertilization to promote turf density are the first steps in weed control.

Your Lawn Care Technician can advise you as to the types of weeds in your lawn.  Dixie Green will apply the most appropriate materials to help solve your weed problems.

Remember, if you’d like more information about your lawn, give us a call at 770-424-1300 and we will be happy to answer your questions.

INVADED BY PERENNIAL GRASSY WEEDS?

Many lawns have been invaded by perennial, grassy weeds.  Because there are no easy means of eliminating them, they remain a source of irritation for the homeowner.  The most common weeds in home lawns are the following:

Dallisgrass – a tall, coarse, yellow-green grass that grows in spreading clumps.  Its leaf blades are flat and nearly 1/2 inch wide.  It has characteristic seedheads consisting of three to six slender spikes pointed upward along the main stem.  Dallisgrass is quite drought-tolerant and is a pest in the middle -to-southern  U.S.

Quackgrass – identified by its bluish-green blades which may be up to 1/2 inch wide, and its spreading growth habit.  Another distinctive feature is the article, a claw-like projection of the lower leaf, which clasps the stem.  Quackgrass prefers a thin, dry lawn and will out-compete desirable turfgrasses under drought conditions.

Tall Fescue Grass – is a darker-green perennial grass which grows in small patches or clumps.  The blades of tall fescue are about 1/2 inch wide, while the stems have a reddish-purple color just above the soil.

Bentgrass – a low-growing, aggressive grass that can produce a very attractive, fine-textured turf.  It is best known for its use on putting greens.  However, it does occur in home lawn situations, most commonly in patches which vary sharply in color and texture from the original lawn grass.

It is very difficult to control these grasses without also injuring desirable grasses in your lawn.  Please call  Dixie Green at 770-424-1300 for more information.

CRABGRASS

As an annual grass, it produces a large amount of seed each year.  This seed can stay in the soil and thatch layer for years, and germinate when conditions are favorable.  For this reason, solving a crabgrass problem is not an easy task.

Crabgrass is identified by its wide, pale-green leaves in a flattened, rosette pattern.  The seed heads look like fingers radiating from a single point on a main stalk.

There are two principal species of crabgrass you may find:

1 – Is large and covered with fine hair.

2. Is smaller and has much less hair.

Both species turn a very noticeable purple after the first frost in the fall.

You can reduce crabgrass germination by mowing your lawn at the proper height.  See the Alerts, Tips and Advice section of this website  for the proper mowing height for your type of grass.  Since crabgrass seeds need plenty of light to germinate, mowing the lawn too short will greatly encourage this nuisance grass.

The best way to avoid a problem with crabgrass is to maintain a thick, healthy lawn and do an application of pre-emergence weed control before weeds germinate.  A different herbicide may be needed to control young crabgrass that has already germinated.

Remember if you’d like more information about your lawn give us a call .  We will be happy to answer your questions!