Dollar weeds are a common nuisance for homeowners. Can you get rid of dollar weeds in your lawn? Yes, you absolutely can eliminate dollar weed with the right approach. This pervasive weed, scientifically known as Paspalum urvillei, can quickly take over a healthy lawn, creating unsightly patches that detract from its overall appearance. If you’re wondering how to get rid of dollar weeds in your lawn fast and effectively, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will delve into comprehensive dollar weed control methods, from manual removal to chemical applications and preventative strategies.
Identifying the Enemy: What is Dollar Weed?
Before we dive into how to remove dollar weeds, it’s crucial to correctly identify them. Dollar weed is a low-growing, perennial weed that thrives in moist, compacted soil. It’s easily recognizable by its distinctive, rounded, silvery-green leaves that resemble small dollar coins, hence its common name. These leaves grow on long, thin stems that spread horizontally along the ground, forming runners or rhizomes. These runners allow the weed to spread rapidly and make it incredibly difficult to eradicate once established.
Key characteristics to look for:
- Leaves: Round, shiny, silvery-green, with scalloped edges. They often have a slightly puckered appearance.
- Stems: Thin, wiry, and light green, allowing the plant to creep along the soil surface.
- Growth Habit: Spreads horizontally via runners (stolons) and underground rhizomes.
- Habitat: Prefers moist, compacted soil, often found in areas with poor drainage or overwatering. It can also tolerate full sun to partial shade.
- Flowers: Produces a small, inconspicuous seed head, typically a spike-like cluster.
Why is Dollar Weed So Stubborn?
The resilience of dollar weed stems from its aggressive spreading mechanism. The runners and rhizomes act as reservoirs of energy, allowing the plant to regrow even after the top growth has been removed. This underground network makes dollar weed treatment a challenge, as simply pulling the visible parts won’t guarantee its demise. You need a strategy that targets both the surface growth and the root system.
Effective Strategies for Dollar Weed Control
Getting rid of dollar weeds requires a multi-pronged approach. Combining different methods will yield the best results for dollar weed control and long-term weed prevention.
Manual Removal: The First Line of Defense
For small infestations, manual removal can be an effective way to remove dollar weeds. However, it’s labor-intensive and requires persistence.
Digging Out Dollar Weed
- Timing is Key: The best time to manually remove dollar weed is when the soil is moist, making it easier to pull the entire plant, including its runners.
- Tools: Use a trowel or a specialized weed-pulling tool that can reach deep into the soil to get the entire root system.
- Technique: Gently loosen the soil around the base of the plant. Carefully pull the weed upwards, ensuring you remove as much of the runner system as possible.
- Disposal: Place the removed weeds in a sealed bag to prevent them from reseeding or their runners from taking root again.
- Follow-up: Be vigilant. New dollar weeds will likely sprout from any remaining fragments of runners. Continue to monitor the area and pull any new growth promptly.
Pros:
- Environmentally friendly.
- Immediate visible results.
- No risk of damaging desirable grass.
Cons:
- Very labor-intensive.
- Difficult to remove all runners, leading to regrowth.
- Only effective for small infestations.
Chemical Solutions: Targeted Weed Killers
When manual removal isn’t enough, or for larger outbreaks, lawn weed killer products can be highly effective. The key is to choose the right product and apply it correctly.
Understanding Broadleaf Weed Control
Dollar weed is a broadleaf weed. Therefore, you need a broadleaf weed control product. These herbicides are designed to kill broadleaf plants while leaving grasses unharmed.
- Post-Emergent Herbicides: These are applied after the weeds have emerged and are actively growing. They are generally the most effective for actively spreading dollar weed.
- Selective Herbicides: Look for products that specifically state they control broadleaf weeds in turfgrass. Many common lawn weed killers fall into this category.
Common Active Ingredients to Look For:
- 2,4-D: A widely used herbicide that targets broadleaf weeds. It’s often found in combination with other herbicides for broader control.
- Dicamba: Another effective broadleaf herbicide that can be absorbed through the leaves and roots.
- Mecoprop (MCPP): Often combined with 2,4-D and Dicamba for a more comprehensive broadleaf weed kill.
- Triclopyr: Particularly effective against tough, woody broadleaf weeds and vines, and can also manage dollar weed.
- Mesotrione: A newer herbicide that works by inhibiting a plant enzyme. It can be effective on dollar weed and offers some pre-emergent activity.
- Quinclorac: Known for its effectiveness against crabgrass, it can also help manage dollar weed.
How to Apply Herbicides Effectively:
- Read the Label Carefully: This is the most crucial step. Follow all instructions regarding application rates, timing, safety precautions, and target weeds.
- Timing: Apply herbicides when dollar weeds are actively growing and have plenty of leaf surface to absorb the chemical. Avoid applying during extreme heat, drought, or when rain is imminent.
- Application Method:
- Liquid Sprays: Use a pump sprayer for even coverage. Calibrate your sprayer to ensure you are applying the correct amount per square foot.
- Granular Products: These are often applied with a spreader. Ensure even distribution.
- Spot Treatment vs. Broadcast: For smaller infestations, spot treatment directly on the dollar weed patches is more efficient and reduces chemical use. For widespread problems, broadcast application might be necessary.
- Multiple Applications: Often, more than one application of herbicide is needed to fully kill dollar weeds, especially if the root system is extensive. Wait the recommended interval between applications as per the product label.
Products to Consider for Dollar Weed Treatment:
When looking for a lawn weed killer for dollar weed, consider these types of products:
- All-in-One Broadleaf Weed Killers: Many consumer-grade products contain a mixture of active ingredients like 2,4-D, Dicamba, and MCPP, providing broad-spectrum control of common lawn weeds, including dollar weed.
- Specialty Herbicides: Some products are formulated for specific tough weeds. Look for those that list dollar weed or similar low-growing, spreading weeds.
Important Note on Herbicides: Always be mindful of your desired lawn grass type. Some herbicides can harm certain grass species. Read the label to ensure the product is safe for your lawn.
Cultural Practices: Strengthening Your Lawn
A healthy, dense lawn is the best defense against weeds. Implementing good lawn care tips can significantly reduce the likelihood of dollar weed infestation and help it recover if it does appear.
Proper Mowing
- Mowing Height: Keep your mower blades sharp and mow at the higher end of the recommended height for your grass type. Taller grass shades the soil, making it difficult for weeds to germinate and grow. For most cool-season grasses, this is around 3-4 inches. For warm-season grasses, it might be slightly lower.
- Mowing Frequency: Mow often enough so that you’re removing no more than one-third of the grass blade length at any given time.
Watering Wisely
Dollar weed thrives in moist conditions. Overwatering is a common cause of dollar weed problems.
- Deep and Infrequent Watering: Water your lawn deeply but less often. This encourages grass roots to grow deeper, making the lawn more drought-tolerant and less susceptible to weeds that prefer consistently wet soil. Aim for about 1 inch of water per week, including rainfall.
- Avoid Frequent Light Watering: This superficial watering encourages shallow root growth in both grass and weeds.
Fertilization
- Proper Nutrition: Feed your lawn with the right type and amount of fertilizer at the correct times of the year. A well-fertilized lawn will be thicker and more competitive against weeds.
- Soil Testing: Consider getting a soil test to determine your lawn’s nutrient needs.
Aeration and Dethatching
- Aeration: If your soil is compacted, aeration can help improve drainage and air circulation. This makes it harder for dollar weed to establish itself.
- Dethatching: A thick layer of thatch can suffocate grass and create a favorable environment for weeds. Dethatch your lawn when the thatch layer exceeds ½ inch.
Natural and Organic Approaches
For those who prefer to avoid chemical herbicides, there are natural methods that can help manage dollar weed.
Vinegar Solutions
- Horticultural Vinegar: A solution of horticultural vinegar (containing acetic acid) can be used as a contact herbicide. It will kill dollar weeds by burning the foliage.
- Application: Mix horticultural vinegar with a small amount of liquid dish soap (acts as a surfactant to help the vinegar stick to the leaves). Spray directly onto the dollar weed leaves.
- Limitations: Vinegar is non-selective, meaning it can also damage or kill your lawn grass if sprayed directly on it. It primarily burns the top growth and may require repeat applications to weaken the root system. It’s best used for spot treatment.
Boiling Water
- Effective for Small Patches: Pouring boiling water directly onto dollar weed patches can effectively kill the plant.
- Caution: Like vinegar, boiling water is non-selective and will kill any plant it touches, including your grass. Use this method only for isolated weeds where you can avoid contact with desirable turf.
Corn Gluten Meal
- Pre-emergent Herbicide: Corn gluten meal is a natural pre-emergent herbicide. It inhibits root formation in germinating seeds.
- Application: Apply in early spring before dollar weed seeds germinate. It needs to be watered in and then remain dry to be effective.
- Effectiveness: Its effectiveness can be variable, and it needs to be applied at the right time. It won’t kill existing dollar weed plants.
Dealing with Creeping Charlie and Other Weeds
Sometimes, dollar weed infestations can occur alongside other persistent weeds like creeping charlie control. Many broadleaf weed killers that target dollar weed are also effective against creeping charlie. However, the best approach for controlling multiple weed types is to focus on strengthening your lawn through excellent cultural practices, as a healthy lawn will naturally outcompete most weeds.
Long-Term Weed Prevention
Weed prevention is just as important as active removal. By creating an environment that is unfavorable to dollar weed, you can keep your lawn looking its best.
Promoting a Healthy, Dense Turf
- Correct Grass Selection: Choose grass varieties that are well-suited to your climate and soil conditions. A resilient turf will naturally resist weed invasion.
- Overseeding: Regularly overseed your lawn, especially in the fall, to fill in any thin spots and maintain a dense canopy of grass.
Addressing Soil Issues
- Drainage: Improve drainage in areas where water tends to pool. This might involve amending the soil or installing drainage systems.
- Compaction: Aerate your lawn annually or as needed to prevent soil compaction.
Regular Lawn Maintenance
- Consistent Care: Stick to a regular schedule of mowing, watering, and fertilizing. Consistency is key to maintaining a healthy lawn that can effectively suppress weeds.
What About Specialized Weed Killers?
There are many products on the market marketed for dollar weed control. When selecting a product:
- Check the Label: Always confirm that dollar weed (or Paspalum) is listed as a target weed.
- Consider Your Grass Type: Ensure the product is safe for your specific lawn grass.
- Read Reviews: Look for reviews from other homeowners in your region who have had success with the product.
Step-by-Step Approach to Eliminating Dollar Weed
Here’s a recommended approach for a homeowner to eliminate dollar weed from their lawn:
- Identify and Assess: Confirm you have dollar weed and gauge the extent of the infestation.
- Improve Cultural Practices:
- Adjust mowing height.
- Review your watering schedule – water less frequently and more deeply.
- Ensure proper fertilization for your grass type.
- Manual Removal (if infestation is small): Pull out as much dollar weed as you can, focusing on removing the runners.
- Chemical Treatment (for larger or persistent infestations):
- Select a selective broadleaf herbicide labeled for dollar weed control and safe for your grass.
- Apply according to label instructions, preferably when weeds are actively growing and temperatures are moderate.
- Be prepared for repeat applications.
- Follow-up and Monitor: Keep an eye on the treated areas for any regrowth. Continue manual removal of any new sprouts.
- Overseed Thin Areas: Once the dollar weed is under control, overseed any bare or thin patches to promote a dense turf.
- Maintain Prevention: Continue with consistent, proper lawn care to prevent future outbreaks.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dollar Weed
Q1: How quickly can I get rid of dollar weeds?
The speed of dollar weed removal depends on the method used and the severity of the infestation. Manual removal can provide immediate visual improvement but requires ongoing effort. Chemical treatments may show visible results within a few days to a couple of weeks, but complete elimination often requires multiple applications over several weeks or months, especially for established root systems.
Q2: Will a general lawn weed killer kill dollar weeds?
Many general lawn weed killer products designed for broadleaf weed control will be effective against dollar weeds. However, it’s crucial to check the product label to confirm that dollar weed is listed as a target weed. Not all broadleaf weed killers are equally effective against this specific weed.
Q3: Can I use weed killer on my St. Augustine grass?
St. Augustine grass is sensitive to certain herbicides. It’s vital to select a lawn weed killer that is specifically labeled as safe for St. Augustine grass. Products containing 2,4-D, Dicamba, and MCPP are often safe when used at the correct application rates, but always verify the label. Mesotrione-based herbicides can also be an option for St. Augustine grass.
Q4: Is dollar weed related to creeping charlie?
While both are persistent lawn weeds that spread via runners, dollar weed (Paspalum urvillei) and creeping charlie (Glechoma hederacea) are different species. Creeping charlie has kidney-shaped, toothed leaves and a minty fragrance when mowed. Creeping charlie control often requires similar broadleaf herbicides as dollar weed, but their growth habits and ideal conditions can vary slightly.
Q5: What is the best time of year to treat dollar weeds?
The best time to kill dollar weeds is when they are actively growing and have plenty of healthy leaf surface to absorb the herbicide. This typically occurs in late spring through summer when temperatures are warm, and there is adequate moisture. Applying herbicides when the weeds are stressed from drought or extreme heat may reduce their effectiveness.
Q6: How can I prevent dollar weeds from coming back?
Weed prevention is key. Focus on maintaining a healthy, dense lawn through proper mowing at the correct height, deep and infrequent watering, appropriate fertilization, and addressing soil compaction through aeration. Regularly overseeding thin areas will also help outcompete dollar weeds.
By employing these strategies diligently, you can effectively eliminate dollar weed and enjoy a beautiful, healthy lawn. Remember that persistence and a comprehensive approach are your greatest allies in the battle against this stubborn weed.