If your grass is green, what does it matter if it's a combination of grass and weeds that look like grass? No harm, no foul – right? Not quite. Weeds compete for air, water, and nutrients, giving the good grass less of a chance to thrive and opening it up to disease and insect infestation. Though it may be just a few weeds to start with, they quickly take over your lawn and kill off your desirable grass before you know it. That's why it's important to know about the different types of weeds that find their way into your yard and disguise themselves as grass.
1. Crabgrass
Often, this weed grows in areas of your lawn that are thin or bare. It's bright green in the summer, but as temperatures drop, this weed dies and subsequently produces thousands of seeds that will germinate when spring comes back around. To get rid of crabgrass you can
- Pull them out of the ground (roots and all)
- Use post-emergent treatment (could damage desirable grass)
- Use pre-emergent in the spring to control crabgrass before it takes over
2. Chickweed
There are two types of chickweed: common and Mouseear. However, we're going to be focusing on common chickweed. This weed is annual, meaning that it only lives for a year. Even though it only lives for that period of time, it does produce seeds that will germinate the next year unless measures are taken to prevent this. Chickweed is leafier than crabgrass and has small white flowers. Thankfully, this type of weed is one of the easiest to pull up because of its shallow roots and the way it appears in clumps. To prevent the clumps from appearing in the first place, we recommend applying pre-emergent.
3. Clover
You likely see clover everywhere in Georgia. Clover comes in clumps and can be identified by the small, round, white flowers that pop up in the middle of it. This weed produces nitrogen, which means it loves to live among under-nourished grass. If you can remove it by hand before it starts to flower, you have a good chance of controlling it. However, you may have to treat the clumps of clover with something that won't harm your grass to reduce the chances of it spreading to other areas.
4. Creeping Charlie
Though this weed originated in the British Isles, it made its way to North America and can be found in Georgia. Unlike the other weeds we have discussed thus far, creeping charlie boasts a purple flower and is known for its ivy-like behavior. It can be assumed that this weed is invasive as it has spread across the U.S. The only way to effectively remove creeping charlie is by using a treatment that contains dicamba. However, even with this "magic" ingredient, you still will have to re-apply and make sure to do so at the optimal time.
5. Dandelions
Do you know those beautiful yellow flowers that turn into a white puffball that your kids love to blow on? They're weeds – and difficult ones to control. They thrive in full sunlight and their roots run extremely deep. Even after the flowers have matured and blown away, you may not see signs of dandelions, but the taproots stay in the soil and wait for the next year to return full force. The most effective way to remove dandelions is to dig them up and treat the taproot to minimize the chance of them returning.
These are some of the most common weeds in Georgia – and they all can be mistaken for grass! Don't be fooled – call Agropro Lawn Care to sign up for one of our lawn care programs!