What’s that poking up through the grass? Plantain? Ragweed? At Ferta-Lawn, our weed control targets all the common broadleaf weeds that plague Utah lawns in the summer.
Common Weeds In Utah Lawns
Ragweed
Ragweed demolishes our sinuses as well as our gardens. It comes in two varieties: common ragweed and giant ragweed. Common ragweed has multiple leaflets that look like ferns, about 6 inches in length and 4 inches wide. Another identifying feature on common ragweed appears on newly developed plant leaves and often has purple speckles. As you may have guessed, Giant ragweed tends to be quite tall – generally about a foot high and 8 inches wide. The leaves tend to look more like the palm of your hand.
Goosegrass
This summer annual is also known as silver crabgrass. However, it is actually not a type of crabgrass. Goosegrass is a coarse, bunch-type grass that forms a rosette of low-growing flattened stems. The leaves are dark green, and about 12 inches long, and roughly 1/3 inch wide. Stems can be up to 2.5 feet long. It has hairs near the base, and the blades can be either flat or slightly folded. You may notice the appearance of flowers with 2 to 10 spikes that resemble a zipper in summer.
Broadleaved Plantain
Eliminating this weed from your lawn is tricky, not only because it’s a prolific spreader but also because broadleaved plantain is difficult to get with the mower during your regular lawn maintenance routine. Broadleaved plantain has oval leaves that are far wider than the traditional blades of grass.
Dandelions
Perhaps the most recognizable lawn weed of all, dandelions have been a scourge of American lawns for centuries. Interesting, they are edible, and you can make just about anything from jelly to wine with them. Though dandelions typically flower in April and May and have probably turned into the white puffballs you make a wish on, you should still treat for them. They are excellent spreaders. Like many weeds, dandelions need lots of direct light to thrive, so one of the easiest ways to prevent them is making sure you’re not cutting the grass too close to the ground. Your lawn care service technician will be sure to use a post-emergent spray that effectively kills dandelions even after they’ve sprouted.
Crabgrass
Crabgrass is such a great infester of lawns because it reproduces both via seeds and a root system. Other weeds can be eliminated quickly since they only produce by spreading seeds. With crabgrass, digging out a plant here or there won’t do the trick. It’s better to let the weed control technician spray your lawn for crabgrass. Few of us have the time to thoroughly dig out the crabgrass weeds that is required for manual removal.
White Clover
Four-leaf clovers may be good luck to some, but they will quickly take over our lawns and choke out the grass. It’s a cute ground cover and even has a bit of cottage-core charm to it, but when you think about our dream backyard, you probably don’t picture clover. Like broadleaf plantain, it grows incredibly low to the ground, so running over it with the mower may not be enough to kill it off. Clover commonly gets confused with another weed, oxalis. They both have three or four clusters of leaves, but clover has smaller, rounded leaves and usually only three. The leaves also have a faint white stripe through them, and the plant may produce white or light purple flowers.
Marestail
Also known as horseweed, marestail is not a subtle plant. It can easily surpass two feet in height and can reach five feet if left unbothered. It has thin leaves with lobed ends and white hairs on the back. It may produce small white flowers that appear in mid to late summer. And like ragweed, it is one of the worst allergens.
Get Professional Weed Control For Salt Lake City Lawns
You don’t have to put up with ugly broadleaf weeds in your lawn. For over 25 years, Ferta-Lawn has provided weed control lawn service to the metro Salt Lake City area. Our products are specifically designed to target only the problem plants you don’t want – your grass and flowers will be unharmed! Rescue your lawn today – call 801-295-3057 or leave us a message online. You can learn more about what we do and how to take care of your yard by reading our monthly blog, or you can find us on social media!
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