If pesky carpetgrass has invaded your lawn, you can get rid of it for good. This comprehensive guide covers handy identification tips and the top 3 proven methods to eliminate carpetgrass using natural remedies or herbicide. Learn how to remove this stubborn weed in just a few straightforward steps.
What is Carpet Grass?
If you’re a homeowner in the southern United States, you may be familiar with carpetgrass invading your lawn. This stubborn warm-season perennial grass is known for spreading aggressively and creating unsightly patches in lawns.
Carpetgrass (Axonopus spp.) gets its name from the carpet-like mats it forms when established. Its light green blades grow densely together, often creating patches that resemble an old, worn-out carpet placed haphazardly on an otherwise healthy lawn.
There are two main types of carpetgrass that act as weeds in home lawns:
- Broadleaf carpetgrass (Axonopus compressus) has wider, shiny leaves that are dark green in color. It’s extremely fast growing and considered highly invasive.
- Narrowleaf carpetgrass (Axonopus fissifolius) has thinner blades and is light green to yellow-green in appearance. It’s less aggressive than broadleaf but still spreads readily.
Both carpetgrass types spread by above-ground stems called stolons that creep along the soil surface and root down, colonizing new areas. The grass forms a dense, low mat reaching only 1-3 inches in height.
One way to identify carpetgrass is by its conspicuous seed heads that give it a weedy, crabgrass-like appearance. The seed stalks emerge during summer months and can grow nearly a foot tall with multiple branches, each topped with small flower spikelets.
Carpetgrass also has some other distinguishing features:
- The tips of the leaf blades are boat-shaped instead of pointed.
- The leaf sheaths have fine hairs along the margins.
- Carpetgrass turns brown earlier than other lawn grasses when temperatures cool in fall.
- It greens up later than other grasses in spring.
- The plants spread rapidly by above-ground stolons, forming circular patches.
Under the right growing conditions, carpetgrass can spread to colonize an entire lawn in just a couple years. It thrives in warm, humid climates and does best in shady, wet sites with poor drainage and infertile soil. Full sun also suits carpetgrass as long as adequate moisture is present.
While carpetgrass makes a decent turfgrass for low-maintenance lawns in some regions, most homeowners consider it a stubborn weed. It invades lawns insidiously, often escaping notice at first. Before you know it, the weedy patches of lighter green carpetgrass have spread.
Left unchecked, carpetgrass produces unsightly seed stalks that seem to pop up everywhere. It also turns brown earlier than other lawn grasses, leaving dried-out patches in the lawn. Worst of all, carpetgrass squeezes out desirable turfgrasses. The thick mats simply choke out and replace grass you’ve worked hard to establish.
That’s why it’s essential to control carpetgrass and prevent it from taking over your lawn. If you catch it early when just a few small patches have appeared, manual removal may work. But once it has established extensive patches, or started appearing throughout the lawn, chemical control is usually required.
While carpetgrass can sometimes play a role in low-maintenance lawns, most homeowners rightfully view it as a stubborn, invasive weed. Keep an eye out for its distinguishing features, and take action at the first sign of carpetgrass to spare your lawn. A quick response is key to getting rid of this persistent invader for good.
Why Get Rid of Carpet Grass?
Carpetgrass may seem harmless at first glance, but this stubborn weed can quickly become a major nuisance in your lawn and garden beds. Here are some reasons why you’ll want to get rid of carpetgrass before it takes over your yard:
It invades lawns aggressively
Carpetgrass spreads rapidly by above-ground stems called stolons. The creeping stems grow along the ground, rooting down at intervals. Each new rooted node results in another carpetgrass plant. This allows the weed to form ever-enlarging circular patches that merge and blend together.
Before you know it, carpetgrass has spread from a few small colonies to blotches and patches scattered throughout the lawn. Eventually, it can completely take over. The thick carpetgrass mats simply choke out and replace the desirable grass you’ve worked hard to grow.
It colonizes garden areas
Carpetgrass isn’t content to just invade lawns. This aggressive creeper will also march right into your flower beds, gardens, and landscaped areas if you give it a foothold.
The vinelike stolons can creep under fences, pavers, or structures. Or carpetgrass plants can root right through mulch or soil at the lawn’s edge to infiltrate garden beds.
Once established, carpetgrass intermingles with and crowds out your desirable ornamentals and plants. Before you know it, your garden has been converted into a carpetgrass jungle.
It looks untidy and weedy
Carpetgrass forms patchy, unsightly mats that clash with the more uniform texture of desirable lawn grasses like bermudagrass. Solid patches of carpetgrass become visible in the lawn by their lighter green color and denser, thicker-bladed growth habit.
As if the matted patches weren’t ugly enough, carpetgrass makes things worse by producing seed stalks starting in late spring. The tall seed heads emerge quickly and can reach a foot high. They give the grass a messy, weedy appearance.
And since new seed stalks pop up every five days or so, things get out of hand rapidly. Before you know it, you have a carpetgrass explosion going on.
It turns brown too early
Carpetgrass lacks cold tolerance and goes dormant sooner than other lawns grasses in fall. While bermudagrass and zoysia may keep their green color into early winter, carpetgrass starts turning yellow and then brown with the first frost.
This early browning leaves dried, crunchy brown patches in the lawn while the surrounding grass remains green. The disparity becomes even more evident as cool-season grasses continue thriving through winter.
So you’re left with large unsightly dead spots marring the lawn’s appearance all winter until carpetgrass resumes growth in spring.
It greens up too late
The flip side of carpetgrass browning prematurely is that it’s also slow to revive in spring. Warm-season grasses like bermudagrass break dormancy relatively early and begin greening up as temperatures rise above 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Meanwhile, carpetgrass sits there stubbornly brown or slowly greening up. This leaves you with lingering brown patches while the rest of the lawn returns to verdant green.
It produces unsightly seed stalks
If left unchecked, carpetgrass plants send up seed stalks that can reach 12 inches tall by mid to late spring. The seed heads emerge from the base of each plant and give the grass a messy, unkempt look.
Carpetgrass produces new seed stalks as frequently as every five days. So things go downhill rapidly, with more and more tall seed heads popping up all over the lawn.
These seed stalks and heads scatter seeds, allowing the grass to spread even more aggressively. They also detract from the lawn’s appearance and don’t stand up well to mowing.
Getting rid of carpetgrass before it goes to seed is critical to stopping its spread and keeping your lawn looking tidy.
It harbors pests
Like other grasses, carpetgrass stems and seed stalks can shelter pests like chinch bugs, sod webworms, and cutworms. These insects damage turfgrass by feeding on stems, roots, and leaf blades.
Pest populations build up readily in the thicker, sheltered carpetgrass mats. As they multiply, the pests spread to the rest of the lawn.
It crowds out desirable plants
Carpetgrass forms such a dense, impenetrable mat that it simply crowds out other plants. The thick carpet of stems and roots monopolizes space, sunlight, and soil nutrients. Nearby plants can’t compete and will decline or die out completely.
Whether it’s the fescue in your lawn, the hostas in your garden, or the grass in your pasture, the carpetgrass will muscle them out. And it won’t stop there – tree and shrub seedlings also get choked out by the ever-expanding carpetgrass mat.
It requires frequent mowing
To keep carpetgrass from looking incredibly messy, frequent mowing is a must. It’s recommended to mow every five days once seed stalks appear. Otherwise, things get away from you quickly with new seed heads popping up everywhere.
While other lawns may only require weekly or bi-weekly mowing, keeping carpetgrass under control demands much more frequent cutting. That takes considerable time and effort compared to mowing a typical lawn.
It lacks ornamental value
Unlike some ornamental grasses, carpetgrass itself offers little aesthetic value. Its light green density may work fine as a basic lawn in some cases. But there’s nothing particularly attractive about its appearance.
And any minimal ornamental virtues are cancelled out by the aggressive spreading, weedy seed heads, and propensity for dieback. This makes carpetgrass almost exclusively a weed rather than a desirable landscape plant.
Getting rid of carpetgrass restores the beauty of your lawn and garden. It allows you to reclaim those areas and replant with grasses and ornamentals you’ve chosen for their visual appeal.
It’s not a suitable pasture grass
While animals can graze on carpetgrass, it doesn’t make the best choice for livestock pastures. Carpetgrass provides only moderate nutrition for grazing animals compared to grasses like bermudagrass.
It also produces less biomass, so it can’t support as many animals. Plus the wiry, creeping stems with their absence of foliage at ground level leave animals more prone to ingesting dirt while grazing.
It becomes a weed
For all these drawbacks, about the only positive use for carpetgrass is as a turf option for low-maintenance areas. But even then, it easily slips into weed status.
What little utility it has in infertile or wet sites diminishes when carpetgrass escapes those areas. Once established in your lawn or garden beds where you’ve intentionally planted other species, carpetgrass is nothing but a weed.
If you want to reclaim control over your entire landscape, reducing or eliminating invasive carpetgrass is a must. Once you weigh all the downsides, it becomes obvious why homeowners want to rid their yard of this stubborn creeping invader.
How To Identify Carpet Grass
Before attempting to get rid of carpet grass, it’s essential to confirm that carpet grass is indeed what you’re dealing with. There are a number of warm-season weedy grasses that can sometimes look similar, especially in their early growth stages.
Misidentification can lead to wasted time and money spent battling the wrong weed. So let’s look at how to positively identify carpetgrass through its distinct characteristics.
Examine the leaf blades
Carpetgrass leaf blades have a coarse, leathery feel and shine compared to common lawn grasses. Run your hand across the grass plants – if the leaves feel tough and fibrous between your fingers, it’s likely carpetgrass.
Check out the leaf tips as well – on carpetgrass they are blunt and rounded with a distinctive boat shape. Bermudagrass and zoysia have much more pointed, sharper leaf tips in contrast.
Take note of the growth habit
Carpetgrass grows laterally rather than upward, with creeping above-ground stems called stolons forming a dense, flat mat. This low-growing carpet-like habit is where the grass gets its common name.
If you suspect carpetgrass, part the grass to check for spreading stems along the soil surface. The presence of stolons that branch and root as they creep is a giveaway.
Watch for seed heads
By mid to late spring, carpetgrass sends up vertical seed stalks that can reach a foot high. Check for seed heads emerging at the tips of the upright stalks.
Carpetgrass seed heads typically have an Y shape, sometimes with a third seed head branching off just below the top two. This Y-shape is very distinctive once the seed heads fully emerge.
Don’t confuse it with crabgrass
Crabgrass is probably the most common weed mistaken for carpetgrass. But if you look closely, there are differences between the two.
Crabgrass leaves are hairless and more finely textured. It spreads by rooting at lower stem joints rather than above-ground stolons. Its seed heads are spike-like panicles rather than the Y-shape of carpetgrass.
Also, crabgrass turns reddish at its base as it matures. And it tends to sprout earlier in spring than carpetgrass.
Watch out for centipedegrass
Centipedegrass is another warm-season lawn grass that carpetgrass frequently intermingles with. In fact, the two are so often found together that carpetgrass is sometimes called “common centipedegrass.”
However, centipedegrass can be distinguished from carpetgrass by the tufts of hairs along the edges of its leaf blades. Centipedegrass also lacks the prominent seed heads that carpetgrass is known for.
Note the growing conditions
Take note of the area where you suspect carpetgrass may be invading. Carpetgrass thrives in wet, shady sites with poor drainage and low fertility.
Check for compacted, consistently moist soil. Note any large trees nearby that could be causing dense shade. Identify slopes or depressions that lead to standing water.
If the area has these characteristics, chances are good that carpetgrass will move in and displace whatever desirable grasses are struggling to grow there.
Assess the severity
As you identify locations of the suspected carpetgrass, assess how far it has already spread. Make note of small patches versus areas where it is invading more extensively.
See if the weed is scattered in various places or confined to one problem spot. This will help determine the appropriate control methods to use and how aggressively you’ll need to act.
Catching carpetgrass early before it starts colonizing is ideal. At that initial stage, manual removal by digging may eliminate it. But once carpetgrass has formed sizable patches, chemical control is typically required.
Accurately identifying carpetgrass is the critical first step before attempting to eradicate it. A few moments taken to inspect and confirm will ensure your efforts target the right weed. Know what to look for, assess the infestation, and plan your attack accordingly.
3 Effective Ways to Get Rid of Carpet Grass
Once carpetgrass establishes itself in your lawn or garden, getting rid of it takes some persistence. But there are several effective methods you can use to gain the upper hand over this creeping perennial weed.
Manual Removal
For small areas of light infestation, manually digging up the grass may eliminate it. This low-tech approach offers the advantage of not using any chemicals.
Here’s a simple process to try:
- Use a spading fork or shovel to dig under the outer edges of the carpetgrass patch.
- Lever the tool’s handle to loosen the soil and lift up the grass.
- Gently tease the runners to detach them and pull up as much of the root system as possible.
- Shake or pick off any soil clinging to the roots to minimize reseeding.
- Dispose of the dug-up clumps into a trash bag to prevent spread.
- Fill in any holes and re-level the area with surrounding soil.
Manual removal works best when the infestation is limited to a few small patches. Once carpetgrass has spread extensively, removing every root by hand becomes nearly impossible.
Apply Herbicides
For larger areas of carpetgrass, herbicide application offers the most effective control. Herbicides like Celsius and Finale work systemically to kill the entire plant.
Follow these tips when using herbicides:
- Always read and follow label directions carefully to ensure safe, effective use.
- Apply on a calm day to avoid drift onto desired plants.
- Use a surfactant for better adhesion and absorption into the grass.
- Treat actively growing carpetgrass for best results.
- Repeat applications 2-4 weeks apart if regrowth occurs.
- Don’t exceed maximum product rates per growing season.
- Avoid mowing for a few days before and after application.
The key advantage of herbicides like Celsius and Finale is that they destroy the entire carpetgrass plant. Manual removal can leave roots behind leading to regrowth.
Improve Lawn Care
Making your lawn less hospitable for carpetgrass can also deter its spread. Here are some lawn care tips that help:
- Fertilize regularly to make your desired grass thick and lush, crowding out invaders.
- Improve drainage with core aeration if your soil stays soggy.
- Only water when your grass shows drought stress signals like curling.
- Mow frequently at the ideal height to keep your grass healthy.
Robust, dense lawn grass essentially walls off carpetgrass, denying it the light and space needed to colonize. So cultivating healthy turfgrass growth helps reduce this weed naturally.
Combine Approaches
In most cases, integrating a couple methods leads to the best control over determined carpetgrass invaders. Here are some combos to consider:
- Manually remove patches, then treat regrowth with herbicide.
- Apply preemergent herbicide early on to prevent seed germination.
- Use herbicide first to weaken and thin the carpetgrass, then remove manually.
- Spot treat patches with herbicide while improving cultural practices for the rest of the lawn.
With persistence, you can gain the upper hand against invasive carpetgrass and reclaim your lawn and garden areas. Don’t be afraid to get aggressive using a multifaceted approach so this stubborn weed finally meets its match.
How to Prevent Carpet Grass Growth
Getting rid of existing carpetgrass is only half the battle. To avoid continual weed headaches, you also need to proactively stop its spread. Here are some tips to prevent carpetgrass from constantly invading your lawn and landscaped areas:
Apply preemergent herbicide
Preemergent herbicides create a chemical barrier that prevents weed seeds from germinating. Unlike postemergent products that kill weeds already growing, preemergents stop them from sprouting in the first place.
For best results:
- Apply preemergent herbicides labeled for use against carpetgrass in early spring before the soil temperature reaches 65 F.
- Follow label directions carefully for timing and application rate in your region.
- Reapply every 2-3 months during peak growing seasons for ongoing control.
Using preemergent herbicide is especially helpful in lawns or gardens that had carpetgrass problems the prior year. It helps stop a new weed crop from appearing come spring.
Promote thick, vigorous lawn grass
The best defense against any weed is a healthy, thriving lawn or garden. Dense desirable plants simply crowd out invaders, leaving them no room to establish.
Here are some lawn care tips that encourage vigorous grass:
- Mow frequently at the optimal height for your grass type to maintain peak health.
- Water only when needed during dry spells to avoid excess moisture that encourages weeds.
- Aerate annually to alleviate soil compaction and improve drainage.
- Apply enough fertilizer, ideally with at least two yearly feedings, to keep your lawn properly nourished.
With good cultural practices, your lawn grass will fill in bare spots before weeds like carpetgrass can move in.
Use mulch in garden beds
Applying 2-3 inches of mulch over soil in flower beds, gardens and tree rings serves multiple purposes.
First, it blocks light so weed seeds can’t germinate. It also limits evaporation, retaining soil moisture longer. And as the mulch breaks down, it adds organic matter to the soil for better structure.
Consider using:
- Shredded wood and bark bits
- Wood chips
- Compost
- Straw
- Pine needles
Replenish the mulch layer as needed to maintain its protective barrier.
Carefully remove any weeds
Stay vigilant in watching for the appearance of carpetgrass plants. Remove any interlopers immediately while they are small and before they go to seed.
This prevents a few early arrivals from gaining a permanent foothold. Don’t let the weed get its reproductive cycle started.
Adjust techniques as needed
Remain flexible and don’t get complacent about prevention. Notice if certain areas seem prone to recurrent infestations. Try varying your mulching materials or preemergent products in problem spots.
Tweak your maintenance practices to make your soil as inhospitable as possible for carpetgrass survival. Your prevention plan needs to be an evolving effort tailored to your property.
With some knowledge of carpetgrass habits and vulnerabilities, you can take proactive measures to keep it out of your landscape. Staying one step ahead prevents a recurring weed nightmare.
FAQs About Controlling Carpet Grass
Dealing with a carpetgrass invasion can leave you with many questions about how to gain control. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about managing this stubborn lawn and garden weed:
Does vinegar kill carpetgrass?
White vinegar, or acetic acid, is commonly used as a natural herbicide on contact-sensitive weeds. However, it provides only temporary top-growth control of hardy perennials like carpetgrass.
Vinegar destroys the leaf tissue it touches, but it does not kill the roots. So while vinegar may damage carpetgrass initially, the roots recover and regrow new shoots within a few weeks.
For long-term control, you need systemic herbicides like glyphosate that translocate down to the roots. Or plan on reapplying vinegar frequently as regrowth appears.
The bottom line: Vinegar can suppress carpetgrass temporarily but does not eliminate it entirely.
What’s the difference between carpetgrass and crabgrass?
Carpetgrass and crabgrass are two common warm-season weedy grasses that often grow together. At first glance, they look very similar with their light green color and fast-spreading habit. But up-close, some features help distinguish them:
- Carpetgrass has hairs along the edges of the leaf sheaths and blunt leaf tips. Crabgrass does not have hairs and has sharply pointed leaf tips.
- Carpetgrass spreads by above-ground stolons. Crabgrass spreads by rooting at lower stem joints.
- Carpetgrass forms a dense, carpet-like mat. Crabgrass grows more upward in bunches.
- Crabgrass turns reddish at the base when mature. Carpetgrass simply turns brown.
- Carpetgrass has Y-shaped seed heads. Crabgrass seed heads are spike-like panicles.
So inspect specimen plants closely to discern the differences between these two stubborn invaders. Proper identification ensures your control efforts target the right weed.
How do I stop carpetgrass from spreading?
To prevent carpetgrass from spreading into more of your lawn or garden, here are a few effective tips:
- Apply preemergent herbicide in spring to stop the germination of seeds and plant fragments. Reapply every 2-3 months as directed.
- Use edging material like metal landscape edging or pavers around the perimeter of planting beds to create a physical barrier to the creeping stolons.
- Remove any carpetgrass plants as soon as you spot them so they can’t expand into large patches.
- Mow the lawn frequently to prevent seed heads from forming and distributing seeds.
- Promote vigorous growth of your desired lawn grass or garden plants so they limit space and resources available for invaders.
- Adjust watering practices to avoid overly wet soil, which carpetgrass prefers.
With persistence, you can contain carpetgrass and prevent it from its continued spread. Just be vigilant and proactive.
What is the fastest way to get rid of carpetgrass?
For quick and effective control, postemergent systemic herbicides provide the fastest carpetgrass knockout. Non-selective foliar products containing glyphosate work well when applied carefully to avoid harming desired plants.
Simply spray glyphosate directly onto the carpetgrass leaves on a calm day when rain is not expected for 24 hours. Within one week, you’ll see evidence of the herbicide taking effect as the weed yellows and withers away.
For faster action, add ammonium sulfate to the tank mix to accelerate glyphosate’s effects. One application may provide long-term control of carpetgrass if you thoroughly cover the foliage.
Just remember that glyphosate herbicides kill any plant they touch. So apply them precisely only on the targeted weeds to avoid damaging nearby ornamentals or lawn grass.
How does carpetgrass spread so fast?
Carpetgrass owes its ability to spread rapidly to a couple key traits:
- It produces both seeds and above-ground stolons that can take root as part of its reproductive system. Both allow it to expand its coverage.
- The stolons branch outward as they grow, forming a network of creeping stems. Each node that touches soil can potentially root.
- It grows vigorously in warm climates, quickly forming a dense mat. The close growth shuts out light and resources from neighboring plants.
- Once established, carpetgrass growth accelerates with new seed stalks appearing as often as every five days during peak growing periods.
These combined characteristics create a “perfect storm” for fast colonization of large areas in a short time. That’s why getting carpetgrass under control quickly is imperative.
Will carpetgrass eventually die out on its own?
Unlike some annual weeds, carpetgrass will never simply die out on its own. As a perennial grass, its root system remains alive from season to season. The stems and leaves regrow each spring even if you mow or pull them repeatedly.
In fact, disturbing carpetgrass without killing the plant usually leads to its spread. The severed stolons may take root and form new colonies. That’s why effective chemical control applied to both the foliage and root system is recommended for eradication.
Don’t expect carpetgrass to disappear on its own. Be prepared to take aggressive action using a multipronged approach for lasting control of this determined creeper. Persistence pays off when battling tenacious perennial weeds.
How do I know if I have broadleaf or narrowleaf carpetgrass?
If you are trying to diagnose which of the two main carpetgrass species you have, here are the distinguishing features:
- Broadleaf carpetgrass has wider leaf blades (about 1/4 inch wide) that are shiny. The leaves are dark green in color. It’s more aggressive than the narrowleaf variety.
- Narrowleaf carpetgrass has thinner leaf blades (1/8 inch wide or less) that are dull. The foliage color is light green to yellowish. It spreads less rampantly than broadleaf.
- Broadleaf carpetgrass forms a more dense, thick-bladed lawn cover. Narrowleaf has a slightly more sparse growth habit.
- Narrowleaf tolerates cooler temperatures better with improved frost and shade tolerance. Broadleaf thrives in tropical regions.
Look closely at the width, color and growth characteristics of your suspect grass to determine which type you are dealing with. Correct identification helps guide your control plan.
Can I reseed after using an herbicide on carpetgrass?
One downside of postemergent herbicides is they leave behind bare patches as the weeds die out. But most systemic products do not leave residual activity in the soil that would prevent reseeding or replanting.
However, it’s wise to wait about four weeks after herbicide treatment before reintroducing lawn grass or garden plants. Early reseeding risks injury to the new plantings if herbicide remains in the area.
Test by sowing a few seeds in a pot of soil taken from the site. If seeds germinate and grow normally after 10 days, it is safe to replant. Then work compost into the bare spots and sow your desired seeds.
With a little patience after chemical weed control, you can restore a lush lawn or garden free of stubborn infestations.
Understanding the limitations and best practices for carpetgrass management brings success more quickly. Knowing the answers to commonly asked questions helps you strategize your own weed battle plan. Just remember that knowledge plus persistence provides the ultimate winning combination against invasive carpetgrass.
The Takeaway on Removing Carpet Grass
Dealing with a carpetgrass invasion can feel like an uphill battle. But armed with the right knowledge and techniques, you can successfully eradicate this stubborn weed from your lawn or garden.
Let’s recap the key tips for effective carpetgrass removal:
Accurate identification is critical
Before you take any control measures, verify you are in fact dealing with carpetgrass. Examine the leaf structure, spreading habit, and seed heads closely.
This ensures your time and money go toward fighting the right weed rather than an imposter. Methods that work for carpetgrass won’t necessarily control crabgrass, goosegrass, or other lawn invaders.
Small infestations may succumb to manual removal
For light carpetgrass invasions limited to a couple isolated patches, hand pulling can eliminate the weed. Use a spade to dig under and lift up the runners. Be sure to remove all root fragments when disposing of the plants.
Manual removal works best when caught early before extensive spreading occurs. But even then, monitor for regrowth from any leftover roots and re-treat as needed.
Herbicides deliver the most reliable control
Once carpetgrass has established sizable colonies or begun spreading throughout the lawn, turn to chemical control. Systemic herbicides like glyphosate and Celsius attack the entire plant when applied correctly.
Follow product labels closely for proper timing, mixing, and application. Be patient – it may take a week or two to see the effects. Re-treat any regrowth.
Improve lawn care practices
The best defense against carpetgrass or any weed is cultivating healthy, dense turfgrass or garden plants. Proper mowing, fertilization, watering, and soil amending leaves little room for invaders to take hold.
So in addition to weed control, assess your overall lawn care regimen. Address any deficiencies that may be contributing to carpetgrass infestations.
Stop it before it spreads
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to pest plants. Apply preemergent herbicides in spring to halt germination of carpetgrass seeds and fragments. Use edging around gardens to create a physical barrier.
Spot-treat or hand pull any isolated plants as soon as you notice them. Maintaining vigilance makes control much easier.
Persistence and adaptability are key
Eliminating invasive perennial weeds like carpetgrass takes patience and discipline. Be prepared to make follow-up applications of your control methods. Integrate multiple strategies like manual removal followed by herbicide treatments.
If progress stalls, try varying products or adjusting cultural practices. Stay flexible until you find what works for your unique property and situation.
While it can be frustrating battling carpetgrass, your effort will pay off in the end. Follow these tips to reclaim your lawn and landscape from this tenacious creeper. With knowledge and persistence, you will achieve victory over carpetgrass.
Key Takeaways for Getting Rid of Carpet Grass
If carpetgrass has invaded your lawn or garden, use these takeaways to tackle the problem:
- Correctly identify carpetgrass by its leaf structure, growth habit, and seed heads before taking any control measures. Proper ID ensures your efforts target the right weed.
- Small patches may succumb to manual digging. Use a spade to remove runners and root fragments. Monitor for regrowth.
- For larger areas, use systemic herbicides like glyphosate and Celsius. Carefully follow label directions for application and optimal timing.
- Promote vigorous lawn grass and garden plants through proper care. Healthy, dense growth prevents weeds from establishing.
- Stop carpetgrass before it spreads using preemergent herbicide, edging, early hand removal, and frequent mowing. An ounce of prevention is invaluable.
- Be patient and persistent. Eliminating hardy perennials like carpetgrass takes discipline and a multifaceted approach. Adapt your strategies until you find what works.
While carpetgrass can be frustrating to deal with, armed with the right techniques and knowledge, you can successfully rid your landscape of this invasive weed for good.
Frequently Asked Questions About Carpetgrass
If you’re struggling to control unwelcome carpetgrass, you’re probably wondering:
What is the easiest way to get rid of carpetgrass?
For small patches, manual digging can eliminate carpetgrass. Use a spade to remove all runners and roots. Just monitor for regrowth. For large infestations, systemic herbicides like glyphosate work best. Carefully follow label directions and allow 1-2 weeks to see results.
When is the best time to treat carpetgrass?
Apply postemergent herbicide during active carpetgrass growth in early summer. Preemergent herbicide should be applied in early spring before soil temperature reaches 65°F to prevent seed germination.
How long does it take to kill carpetgrass with herbicide?
It typically takes 5-7 days to see evidence of systemic herbicides impacting carpetgrass. The weed will yellow and wither. Complete browning and dieback takes 10-14 days in most cases. Avoid mowing during this period.
Does vinegar kill carpetgrass permanently?
Vinegar only damages the leaf tissue it contacts. It does not kill the roots, so carpetgrass will regrow. For long-term control, a systemic herbicide or very frequent vinegar reapplication is needed.
What’s the difference between carpetgrass and crabgrass?
Both have light green color and spread rapidly, but crabgrass has pointed leaf tips and no leaf sheath hairs. Crabgrass stems root at nodes while carpetgrass has above-ground stolons. Their seed heads also differ.
How do I stop carpetgrass from coming back?
Use preemergent herbicide to stop seed germination. Promote vigorous lawn grass to crowd it out. Hand pull new sprouts immediately. Maintain optimal mowing, watering, and fertilization for your lawn type. Address drainage issues.
Why is my lawn turning into carpetgrass?
Wet, acidic, infertile soil creates an environment carpetgrass thrives in. Other grasses weaken under these conditions, allowing carpetgrass to invade. Improving drainage, pH, and fertility encourages healthy turfgrass that resists weeds.
How long does carpetgrass live for?
As a perennial grass, carpetgrass persists for many years. The roots remain alive through winter dormancy to regenerate the following spring. It does not die out on its own like an annual weed. Expect control to require ongoing monitoring and maintenance.