Weed identification

rtmeek – posted 30 November 2002 13:28

I have A floratam lawn. I am beginning to get a weed that some people have told me is “carpetgrass” and that there is nothing I can do to get rid of it short of using roundup. It basically grows below the surface of the lawn, shoots out runners, in the heavy areas it matts up on the surface and chokes out the floratam. It looks simular to crabgrass, but does not “clump up”. Any help or direction is appreciated.

seed – posted 06 December 2002 07:41

rtmeek, what you describe sounds like tropical signalgrass. Here are pictures that may help you identify it:http://turfscience.com/weeds/signalgrass.htmlhttp://turfscience.com/weeds/signal2.html

The main way I distinguish tropical signalgrass from crabgrasses is that the tropical signalgrass leaves are shiny and stiff, while those of crabgrasses are dull and soft.

Unfortunately, there is not even a good remedy in sod fields of Floratam St. Augustinegrass, so your options in a lawn are limited.

If you get any decent frost this winter, you might hope for temporary relief. Otherwise, there is no reliable way of selectively removing tropical signalgrass from St. Augustinegrass, no chemical. Mechanical removal tends to break it up. You may have to spray out the whole area with Roundup and replace it with new sod.

Phil

Will-PCB – posted 11 February 2003 07:30

Hi Seed!

I found something that works, but unfortunately I am unsure what it is. I have a friend in the sod business give me this blue chemical (unlabeled) and told me to spray it lightly over the weed. Sure enough, the crabgrass (as i know it) died. The St. Augustine was stressed for a bit, but lived on nicely.

<shrugs>

frenchman – posted 11 February 2003 21:29

Try some MSMA, it should work