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what weed is this and how to eradicate it

9 years ago

The area in front of my deck was filled with overgrown shrubs and mulch until I removed them last July. After leveling the ground and adding a good growing soil I planted Pennington Smart Seed Northeast mix. It grew in nicely before the winter so most of the bare ground was covered with new grass before it went dormant.

This spring I am seeing an explosion of light-colored weeds in that area. I don't even know what kind of weed it is but my backpack spray mixture of clover killer and selective weed killer did nothing to it in the first application two weeks ago. The other typical weeds and clover (those areas that I managed to treat) are gone already.

I would appreciate any advice in identifying and eradicating it from my lawn because it appears to be spreading.

{{gwi:91680}}

This post was edited by njitgrad on Wed, May 14, 14 at 10:50

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Comments (4)

dchall_san_antonio
9 years ago
That is poa annua. It is a very common weed. You will have a lot more of it next year.

The reason it was not fazed by the weed killer you sprayed is that poa annua is a grass, not a broadleaf plant. Weed b Gone only works on broad leaf plants like clover and dandelions.

Seems to me there is a grass killer that works against poa annua but someone else will have to chime in.
andy10917
9 years ago
There is something for Poa Annua, but it is expensive (about $80 for 8 oz), very touchy about application rates, requires attention to when to re-apply, can kill your lawn if overapplied, and will never be found in big-box stores or garden centers.

It is called "Tenacity" (Mesotrione).
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njitgrad
Original Author
9 years ago
how the heck did I get it all of the sudden?
sherm1082
9 years ago
I got so mad at my poa one year I sprayed non selective weed killer.

You said you had overgrown shrubs in that area. Maybe it was always there. Maybe you just had some seeds blow in your yard. Who knows.

I would pretty much chalk this year up as a loss in regards to poa. I don't know where you are but it will die out in the heat of the summer. Bag your clippings when you cut. Your best defense for next year is a pre emergent. I used dimension and am very pleased with the results. Good luck

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