Learn Your Lawn: Quackgrass

WHAT IS QUACKGRASS? 

Quackgrass is an invasive, perennial grass species characterized by its creeping rhizomes, which grow underground and send up new shoots. It grows fast and spreads quickly, displacing desirable plants. It has narrow, glossy leaves with a slightly rough texture. The leaves are often curled or folded. The stems are thin and wiry, sometimes as tall as 2 feet, and the spiky seed heads resemble small brushes.

Quackgrass does not blend well with other cool-season grasses, making it an eyesore in most residential lawns. It’s highly invasive and difficult to control and remove. It has long, deep roots that make it difficult to pull out, and it often regrows from the roots or from seeds that have fallen into the soil.

HOW CAN I CONTROL QUACKGRASS IN MY LAWN?

An effective way to control small infestations of Quackgrass is by pulling individual plants by hand and repairing these areas with desirable grass seed varieties or sod. If the infestation is larger, other forms of control may be necessary.

A thick, healthy, well-maintained lawn is always the best line of defense. This can be achieved through beneficial cultural practices, which include:

• Watering: Deep and infrequent watering is essential for strong plant health and development. A general rule of thumb is to water each area of your lawn for 30-45 minutes, twice per week, in the early morning so the turf is dry by nightfall. 

• Mowing: Maintain a regular mowing schedule throughout the growing season. In general, you should keep your lawn between 2 ½ and 3 ½ inches high, but during the hottest weeks of summer, you may allow the grass to grow as high as 4 inches. Never remove more than ⅓ of the grass blade at each mowing.

• Fertilizing: Regular applications of Weed Man’s specially formulated, slow-release granular fertilizer will help provide your lawn with adequate nutrients. These applications are timed specifically to avoid over fertilizing the lawn.

• Core Aeration and Overseeding: Aerate and overseed annually to fill in bare areas with suitable seed and topsoil and to choke out unwanted grasses and weeds. This will help thicken the turf, so weeds can’t break through, and will improve soil drainage and alleviate soil compaction, allowing water and nutrients to penetrate deeper into the soil.

Your local Weed Man professional will be able to offer other solutions and recommend the best form of treatment that is suitable to improve the conditions of your lawn.