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When Weeds Attack: How to Handle Perennial Nuisances

Like many noble pursuits, cultivating a great-looking lawn takes hard work and patience. Unfortunately, the variable climate of Central Texas often gets in the way. Try as you might, you probably find it difficult to completely eradicate weeds and invasive plants from the managed areas of your property. It’s especially difficult to get rid of weeds that closely resemble your lawn’s planted grasses.

We’ve compiled a list of some of the toughest weeds in the Bryan-College Station area and offer some tips about dealing with them.

Annual Bluegrass

Annual bluegrass is a truly pernicious weed. Since it’s related to Kentucky bluegrass, a popular covering for golf courses and other high-traffic areas, it’s a rugged, hearty breed that closely resembles common lawn grasses. You can tell annual bluegrass from its “good” perennial cousin by its tendency to form thick, unruly clumps and the slight curvature of its blades. Annual bluegrass is also a bit lighter in color than perennial bluegrass.

To manage this potential scourge, mow the affected areas of your lawn more often than unaffected areas and carefully collect grass clippings. This reduces the likelihood that seeds will spread. Early in the season, you can manually remove clumps and reseed with native bluegrass.

Large and Smooth Crabgrass

Crabgrass is another grassy weed that bedevils lawns across Central Texas. Around here, the two most common strains are large crabgrass and smooth crabgrass. Both appear during the late spring or early summer and quickly grow at the first hint of moisture. Unlike annual bluegrass, crabgrass has a distinctive “flattened” appearance and telltale leafy stubs that branch off from its stems. To control its spread, manually weed affected areas and mow regularly to prevent reseeding. In shady areas, mulch can prevent germination as well.

Dallisgrass

Dallisgrass isn’t even native to North America, but that hasn’t stopped it from encroaching on the carefully kept lawns of Central Texas. This South American scourge looks like a cross between crabgrass and buffalo grass. Unfortunately, its strong, tangled root system makes it harder to manage than either species. To break through the root system and remove the plants, use a long, sharp knife to cut a full circle around each one and pull straight up.

Fighting Weeds with a Bryan-College Station Landscaping Professional

Great lawns don’t grow overnight. Nurturing your little slice of the neighborhood requires an investment of time and knowledge, but it’s sure to pay off in the long run. If you can follow the lawn care tips that we outline in this article, you’ll be off to a good start. For even more guidance from the College Station/Bryan area’s most experienced landscaping team, visit our homepage or give us a call at (979) 361-0500.

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