From crabgrass to dandelions, here’s how to deal with weeds.
Lawn weeds and weeds in your garden can be a nuisance.
Crabgrass, Digitaria Ischaemum
Crabgrass resembles its ocean-dwelling namesake, with spreading stems hugging the ground.
Photo: Olivia Barr
The grass is a true annual, completing its life cycle in a single year.
Seeds germinate in spring and begin growing before warm-season lawn grasses get started.
Maintaining a dense, healthy lawn is often all that is needed to prevent crabgrass.
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These chemicals are designed to kill seedlings before they establish a root system.
Henbit is easily recognizable in spring when the purple flowers appear in whorls among the upper leaves.
A dense, vigorous turf is the best defense against henbit.
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Apply to young, actively growing weeds in the spring or fall when temperatures are cool.
Treatments should be reapplied three to four weeks after the first system for optimal control.
This perennial weed develops a deep tap root that is difficult to pull by hand.
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How to Get Rid of Dandelions
Dandelions thrive in thin, sparse lawns.
Regular overseeding and other steps to maintaining a dense lawn reduces seed germination.
Leavinggrass clippingsin place also helps, while benefiting your lawn.
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Both the iron-based herbicides and pre-emergent products listed above also work fordandelion control.
Use ahand weederor trowel to remove as much of the root as possible.
It is easier to hand-pull young dandelions.
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Be sure to pull dandelions before they go to seed, as each plant produces hundreds of seeds.
This weed can be particularly aggressive in areas that are well irrigated.
If only a few plants are present, hand-weeding may be the best way to eradicate the weeds.
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It is necessary to dig down and remove the entire root system.
Monitor the area regularly after removal for regrowth and repeat hand removal until all nutsedge is eliminated.
For large infestations, chemical control may be necessary.
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Always read the label for specific instructions on use.
Normally, two applications are required 10 to 14 days apart.
Hand removal is an effective way to get rid of any creeping Charlie that establishes.
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Creeping Charlie is most common in shady lawns.
Overseedcool-season grassesas necessary to maintain a dense turf.
Iron-based weed killers can also be effective at managing creeping Charlie.
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Plants develop a deep root system and can regrow from pieces of root left after weeding.
Remember that pre-emergent herbicides cannot be used in conjunction with overseeding.
In summer, long seed-covered stalks stand upright.
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If problems persist, apply an iron-based herbicide to manage the remaining broadleaf plantain weeds.
Plants produce hundreds of seeds, so preventing plants from setting seed is key to control.
Plants also flower shortly after germination, making the window for control rather short.
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The common name refers to the swollen area at each node, which looks like small knots.
How to Get Rid of Common Knotweed
Knotweed thrives in compacted soils.
As such,regular soil aerationcan make the lawn less suitable for knotweed.
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Hand removal of established weeds is generally effective in the home landscape.
Where chemical control is necessary, the iron-based herbicides listed above are effective against young knotweed plants.
It looks like a fern, but develops greenish bloomsthe source of all that pollen.
Poison ivy.Ed Reschke/Oxford Scientific/Getty Images
It can crop up in wild areas and in your garden.
Common ragweed is resistant to a lot of commonly used herbicides.
Touching the plant can cause terrible rashes and itching.
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It shares the three-leaflet setup, but their leaves look more like an oak leaf.
Its roots also help it reproduce.
you could also pull up weeds manually to control them.
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Dayflower, Commelina Spp.
Many common herbicides won’t work against dayflowers.
They thrive in wet soil, and their seeds can stay viable for 80 years.
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Look for herbicides that contain 2,4-D and dicamba (like Ortho WeedClear Weed Killer Concentrate).
It can produce a toxic chemical that can kill off other plants.
Knapweed can also cause irritation to your skin.
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Be sure to wear gloves when handling this weed.
It tends to thrive in sunny and dry areas and can easily spread.
For small outbreaks, simple weeding works.
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(you’re able to eat it fresh or cooked!)
The plants prefer plenty of sun and grow low to the ground.
The plants and their berries are toxic to many animals, including humansthough they’re a favorite of bees.
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Dollarweed, Hydrocotyle Spp.
It also grows only in areas of heavy moisture, so reducing moisture could help reduce your dollarweed population.
you’re able to also hand pull the weeds or spray them with a glyphosate-based herbicide like RoundUp.
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Wild Violets, Viola Spp.
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You might seewild violetscrop up in your lawn or in your garden, especially in shady areas.
These perennial weeds can grow pretty easily, so they may start to overgrow your lawn.
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Chemical treatments that contain 2,4-D and dicamba (like Ortho WeedClear Weed Killer Concentrate) can be effective.
It’s a perennial plant that produces purple and gold flowers and is related to mint.
It grows best in wetlands and features seven to 13 smooth leaflets on each leaf.
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The rash may look and feel like itchy bumps or blisters.
They can appear even 24 to 72 hours after exposure.
Weeding or tilling can help you clear out the plants, or use 2,4-D or glyphosate herbicides.
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Woodsorrel, Oxalis Stricta
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Woodsorrel is another fabulous edible weed or wildflower.
It thrives in poor soil and will show up in spots where your lawn is thin.
Weeding should be your first line of defense for a chemical-free way to reduce the weeds.
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Each plant can produce up to 17,000 seedsseeds that can lie dormant and grow in 50 to 60 years.
It reproduces by seed, and plants can produce up to 7,000 seeds annually.
Many herbicidesincluding those featuring glyphosates or triclopyrcan be used to control pokeweed.
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How to Get Rid of Poa Annua
Good lawn care is important for controlling this lawn weed.
you’ve got the option to also dig up areas that are affected.
Image Kills Nutsedge Concentrate can be used on current patches.
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Most herbicides can work on the weeds as well.
(The fleabane part comes from an old wives' tale that it would keep fleas away.
If the plants have seed pods, bag them up for the trash to prevent further spread.
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Pull up yellow salsify before those fluffy white seeds appear.
Good mulch can also help prevent these garden weeds from appearing in your garden.
It can also reproduce both by roots and by seeds.
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(you could also unwrap as much of the vine as possible from trees to help free them.)
To remove, simply weed or dig small patches up as they occur to keep them at bay.
The plant gets all of its nutrients from its host plant.
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Pulling dodder off of plants or mowing down areas infested with it can help reduce the population.
They tend to be broad with crinkled edges.
usually spreads by human movement or activity.
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To remove them, pull the plants by hand.
Pigweeds, Amaranthus spp.
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Pigweeds are a summer annual that compete with vegetable plants and crops.
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They’re incredibly drought-tolerant and have adapted to shade-free growing areas.
They typically emerge right after the first spring frost and die before the first Fall frost.
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Wirestock/Getty Images
Accessed March 12, 2023.
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Accessed March 12, 2023.
Sherry Barr Photography/Getty images
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Accessed March 12, 2023.
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Accessed March 12, 2023.
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emilio100/Getty Images
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Orest Lyzhechka/Getty Images
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annick vanderschelden photography/Getty Images
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Ed Reschke / Getty Images
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aga7ta/Getty Images
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igaguri_1/Getty Images
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An orange-tip butterfly nectaring on a garlic mustard flower.Sandra Stanbridge / Getty Images
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ian al amin/getty images
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