If you’re a homeowner who takes great pride in your lawn, then weeds have likely become your sworn enemy. Try as you might to maintain a healthy landscape, those pesky plants seem to pop up at every turn, causing some serious frustration. Well, it’s often been said that you should “know your enemy” in order to defeat it. So, let’s take a closer look at some of the most common weeds you might be encountering in your Oklahoma lawn.
This weed is an herbaceous, winter annual broadleaf plant. It’s important to note that while chickweed is considered a pest by homeowners trying to keep up their lawn care, it has been recognized by folk medicine practitioners as a natural remedy for respiratory issues like asthma, as well as for constipation, fever, and numerous other ailments. Regardless, this plant thrives in cool, moist conditions but hardly tolerates the hot, dry climate of late spring and early summer.
This is a perennial broadleaf weed, which ironically, was commonly included as an ingredient in lawn seed mixes in the past. Of course, some people do find clover visually appealing and are less concerned about weed control for this reason; additionally, it can help affix nitrogen to the soil, which may be considered a benefit. However, during times of drought, clover becomes dormant leaving unattractive brown patches on the lawn.
Many types of weeds are often erroneously labeled “crabgrass,” but true crabgrass is a warm-season annual grass that thrives in the heat; it grows close to the ground, and the stems, light in color, branch out (like crab legs). Because crabgrass is an annual weed, it will die out as soon as the first frost hits. However, annual weeds are known to produce a large number of seeds — the average is around 25,000 per plant, but some can produce up to 250,000. That means that even after this season’s crabgrass dies, you can expect its seeds to germinate next year if you don’t take the proper weed control and fertilization measures landscaping services
provide.
Like clover, dandelions are viewed as pretty, harmless flowers by some. However, if not controlled, they can become a nasty, persistent problem. Dandelions are tricky to get rid of because each seed head produces thousands of seeds that float across yards and landscapes in the breeze. In other words, if your neighbors have dandelions, so will you. As you’ve noticed, these weeds become delicate puffballs when they reach full maturity, and that fluff spreads the seeds across long distances. Once established, dandelion roots burrow into the soil several inches deep, and if you fail to remove the entire root, the weed will certainly grow back.
Also known as wiregrass, this weed presents as a compressed, white-silver mat, or a light green clump with flat stems. It germinates later in springtime than crabgrass, adapts well to close mowing, and has a strong root system that invades hard, compacted soils in high traffic locations.
What’s the best defense against a weed-worn lawn? Seeking help from professional lawn care and landscaping services. Watson’s Weed Control has over 17 years of experience with lawn care and turf management in Oklahoma’s extreme climate. Give us a call today for an accurate lawn analysis at no cost.
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