Carpet grass is invasive and can make your lawn look unattractive. Many property owners plant this warm-season perennial grass as a low-maintenance turfgrass.
But when it grows in unwanted places such as lawns, it is considered a weed. Its seed heads can give your yard a weedy appearance, which can hinder the growth of your grass.
If you want an attractive and healthy lawn, you can implement various methods on how to get rid of carpet grass. All you need is to be sure that you are dealing with carpet grass but no other weed.
Contents
- DIY Treatment Guide on How to Get Rid Of Carpet Grass
- 1. Identify carpet grass
- Here are 3 tricks of carpet grass identification
- 2. Pinpoint the regions where the weed is concentrated
- 3. Treatment
- Lawn management practices
- Hand pulling
- Spot treating
- FAQs on How to Get Rid Of Carpet Grass
- What herbicides kill carpet grass?
- Which household products can kill carpet grass?
- Can you remove carpet grass by hand pulling?
- Author
DIY Treatment Guide on How to Get Rid Of Carpet Grass
1. Identify carpet grass
Before using any treatment program, you need to understand how carpet grass looks like. With this, you will not implement the wrong methods or herbicides to control this pesky grass.
If you make the mistake of using the wrong herbicide, carpet grass cannot die, and you may waste a lot of time and money.
Here are 3 tricks of carpet grass identification
- Carpet grass features a yellowish-green or pale green color. But it turns brown during cool temperatures and remains green in spring.
- The leaves are blunt and have rounded ends. Also, this grass gives rise to crabgrass-like seed heads.
- This description will help you identify carpet grass. Also, this weed is likely to occur in late June and at the end of the summer season.
2. Pinpoint the regions where the weed is concentrated
Carpet grass can invade the entire lawn. But in the case where it occupies certain areas, you will need to perform an inspection to know where it is concentrated. With this, you will figure out the amount of herbicide to use and the place to focus the application.
Carpet grass is likely to thrive in areas with moist soil or poorly maintained. When scanning your lawn, it is good to focus on wet or sandy areas.
What kills dandelion but not grass
3. Treatment
Herbicides, homemade products, or lawn management practices can help to reduce carpet grass issues in your lawn. The treatment method to use will depend on the condition of your property and your budget. That’s why it is good to observe your yard before applying any technique.
Also read: How to eliminate torpedo grass
Here are methods of controlling carpet grass
Lawn management practices
Does the lawn has high moisture? What is the PH level of your soil? Carpet grass grows well in moist soil. Thus, if the ground is consistently damp, you may need to aerate your lawn.
Also, this grassy weed loves low fertility soil. If the soil contains low nutrients, it is advisable to test it to know how much you need to add. Since carpet grass does not thrive in fertile soil, adding nutrients can reduce the weed issue.
Hand pulling
Removing grassy weeds by hand can be difficult. But if you have less carpet grass in lawn, hand pulling might be an effective way to prevent the weed from spreading.
Spot treating
Aerating and fertilizing your lawn can reduce carpet grass issues. But when it is past early summer or late spring, you will need to spot treat the weed. There are various post-emergent herbicides for carpet grass, but not all are safe for use in lawns.
Weed killers for Bermuda grass
Glyphosate is a widely available option that is sold under different brands. This ingredient kills the entire weed by damaging the leaves and hindering the development of the root system.
When purchasing herbicides, it is good to ensure that it is safe for use on different grass types such as St. Augustine grass, Bermuda grass, and zoysia grass.
FAQs on How to Get Rid Of Carpet Grass
What herbicides kill carpet grass?
If your lawn is full of carpet grass weed, you can use a broadcast weed killer to treat them.
Here are 2 best herbicides for killing carpet grass
1. Celcius WG Herbicide 6666194
Celsius WG is a post-emergent herbicide that can be used when the temperature is hot or when it exceeds 90 degrees. This selective herbicide provides excellent performance in weed control due to its three active ingredients. You can use it on lawns such as St. Augustine grass without fear of damaging your grass.
Besides, this weed killer acts quickly. Carpet grass will start dying after a few hours of application. The combination of the active ingredients found in Celsius WG inhibits weed growth and reduces the chances of weed resistance.
2. Finale Herbicide
Finale herbicide is a non-selective emergent herbicide offering efficient control of carpet grass. It makes its way through the green tissues and destroys the broad spectrum of weeds.
This herbicide acts faster and gives results in 1-4 days. The best time to use Finale herbicide is when the weed is actively growing. However, this non-selective weed killer can destroy all the green vegetation it comes into contact with. Thus, it is good to avoid direct spray contact with your lawn.
Which household products can kill carpet grass?
Herbicides can cause water and soil contamination. That’s why some homeowners are seeking alternatives to weed killers. Some homemade products can help you get rid of carpet grass completely. For instance, you can use salt water to kill carpet grass.
Carpet grass cannot survive in salty water conditions. So how do you prepare the solution?
Also: Does baking soda kill grass?
Can you remove carpet grass by hand pulling?
Yes, hand pulling is an affordable solution, especially when the lawn has few carpet grass. But this method is not reliable.
If the root system breaks, the remaining roots might sprout out after several weeks. A good way to kill the entire weed is by using a post-emergent ready-to-use herbicide.
The best way to prevent carpet grass from thriving is by maintaining your lawn properly. A thick lawn will choke out weeds and will not give them room to grow.
At times, even the well-kept lawns can have carpet grass. But if you understand the steps on how to get rid of carpet grass, your yard will remain thick and healthy.
