Identifying Weeds in the Lawn
When we think of weeds in the lawn, we often think of the friendly or not so friendly dandelion. As children, we pick the pretty yellow flowers and offer them up as tokens of our undying love and devotion. When the yellow flowers give way to the fluffy white cotton, we make a wish and blow the seeds into the wind, effectively ensuring another crop. As adults, we fail to remember the magic of the dandelion and we look for the best way to kill it.
But what actually constitutes a weed? If we actually think about it, a weed is anything that isn’t in its proper place. In this definition, any plant can be considered a weed. However, there are two main categories of weeds that will plague your lawn.
Broadleaf Plant or Weed
There are over 100 different common types of broadleaf weeds that are commonly found in lawns. Some of the most notable characteristics of these weeds are yellow flowers, purple leaves, and jointed nodes. The root systems of these can be either small or can be ones that seem as if they are going clear to China.
Narrow Leaf or Grassy Weeds
There are many different varieties of narrow leaf weeds that will infest a lawn. These are also commonly referred to as grassy weeds. These usually have a wider blade than regular turf or lawn grass. Some of these are annual weeds that will only live for one season. But they will give off a lot of seed for the next year’s crop.
Some grassy weeds will grow faster than your normal lawn and stand a little taller. They seem to announce to the world, “Here I am…I’m different!” Other grassy weeds have a fine, fine blade and will grow in small patches. These usually will die out in the summer heat.
With so many possibilities and similar characteristics, learning to identify the exact species or varieties of weeds may seem difficult. But for proper identification, you will always want to look at the complete plant in question. This includes the root and stem and whenever possible, the seed and/or flower of the weed.
Which weed causes you the most grief in your lawn?
Photo by: Jak
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Thank you for your informative and inspirational article on weeds. My kids are running around yanking them up and blowing the seeds around. I’ve turned into my mother with the “don’t pick those sticky things, they’re WEEDS!”
The “weed” that is causing me some grief, isn’t a weed, at least that I know of. You know the chives that sprout on the lawn? We have patches here and there. The kids love to chew on them.
When I homeschooled my son, we did a lot of gardening-related activities. I wonder if we would have incorporated mowing the lawn, into those activities? Not!
Merry Strong
Violette,
This wild onion or chive is not a true broadleaf weed. Therefore, your typical weed killers will not kill them. If you want to get rid of them in your lawn, you will have to use a non-selective weed and grass killer containing glyphosate. You can find this in Hi-Yield Kill-Zall or Roundup. This will kill out the whole spot including some good grass, but you can replant or reseed your grass 10 days after you spray.
If you DO spray the lawn, advise your kids NOT to eat the chives. The best time to spray them out would be NOW, Spring/Early Summer. This will allow the new grass seed to fill in your lawn for Summer enjoyment.
Merry,
It is ALWAYS worth a shot! LOL! Gardening in a homeschool setting is fun and there are lots of lessons that can be incorporated into school. I can think of several, but science and art lessons are probably the most common.:)