You might think you’re past the worst of the lawn weeds once you reach the heat of the summer months.
Think again. Those sneaky, ugly lawn blemishes happen to love humidity, heat, and even drought. So weeds continue their takeover even as temperatures rise despite the lack of rain. They aren’t bothered at all.
And weeds are the last thing you need in the summer. You have warm weather plans. You have vacations. You have weekends to spend outdoors. The last thing you need is more weeds ruining your picture perfect lawn. You don’t need these pesky nuisances to make your lawn look unkempt and neglected.
Enough is enough.
Let’s take a look at the 7 worst summer lawn weeds in Virginia and – most importantly – how to get rid of them so you can return to your summer fun.
7 Common Weeds in Virginia Lawns You’d Like to Not Have Ruining Your Yard
While summer lawn weeds in Virginia don’t have their own club, they do have a knack for surviving in heat, humidity and with little water available. They are tough.
But you’re tougher, right?
Once summer lawn weeds settle into your Northern Virginia lawn, you have to know what weeds you’re dealing with in order to properly fight them.
Here are the most common summer lawn weeds in Virginia so you can learn a little bit more about these ugly invaders and how to eliminate them from your sight so you can get back to enjoying summer.
1. Crabgrass
One of the most opportunistic weeds that need summer weed control is crabgrass.
In fact, this nasty weed begins germinating in the soil during the spring, and if left to continue growing, crabgrass can really get ugly in June and July.
Crabgrass is the monster of summer weeds because it can produce up to 75,000 seeds in just one growing season, meaning those thick, unattractive clumps you hate will multiply pretty quickly.
Crabgrass loves thin lawn areas and sneaks its way in where it can. This is what makes it such a great weed, and a bane to your existence. Once crabgrass gets thick and strong it can continue bullying out nearby lawn areas. What’s worse is that it leaves bare areas in its path that you have to fix later or else they are continually vulnerable to crabgrass. Your poor lawn just keeps getting weaker as a result.
Because this summer lawn weed in Virginia is so strong, the best way to control crabgrass is through properly timed pre-emergent weed control applications and then post-emergent herbicide applications for any weeds that break through afterward. This way you are stopping the majority of this opportunistic weed from strong-arming their way into your lawn.
2. Dallisgrass
Dallisgrass is a summer lawn weed in Virginia that is a crabgrass look-alike.
This warm-season perennial is a clumping grass that comes back every year versus crabgrass, which is an annual. This coarse weed is a distinct greenish-gray color that may have some sparse hairs on its upright leaf blades.
Dallisgrass can spread easily with its extensive fibrous root system. Since there are no pre-emergent weed control options for this one, post-emergent control is the way to go, as well as practicing proper lawn care cultural practices to keep your lawn thick and healthy and more defensive against this weed.
3. Dandelion
As a broadleaf perennial weed, dandelion is well-known for its bright yellow flowers. When you’re trying to control weeds in summer, this weed will certainly be on your hit list.
And this weed is super versatile. It likes moist soil and sunlight, but can thrive in multiple conditions, making it pretty hardy. In fact, its seeds will just hang out even if conditions aren’t best for it to germinate. And then when conditions improve, it springs forth like a nightmare.
Dandelion seeds travel well on winds so they can spread pretty far – even miles away. And since it’s a perennial, it can come back even after it dies on the surface.
Using a selective broadleaf weed control product during the right time – usually active growth of the weed – can help control this very visible weed in your lawn.
4. Spotted Spurge
This summer lawn weed in Virginia has a name that is quite fitting to its appearance.
Spotted spurge is made up of red and purple dots on dark green circular leaves that branch out from a central point on red, hairy stems. While this one germinates in mid-spring, it thrives in summer’s heat. Flowers will bloom on this weed from June through September, making it even worse.
If you have weaker, thinner lawn areas, spotted spurge will take over, forming thick matted areas that can reach 3 feet across. Producing thousands of seeds per plant, this weed is also a great spreader.
To battle this problematic weed, Turf’s Up uses precisely timed broadleaf weed control when plants are young. This means early detection of the weed is extremely important in summer weed control.
5. Buttonweed
Buttonweed may sound cute as a button, but it’s anything but cute. This deep-rooted perennial has spreading branches and thick leaves, making it a tough-to-control common weed in Virginia lawns.
Buttonweed, like some other summer weeds, starts growing in spring and then continues through summer. And, also like some other thick weeds with a matting growth habit, it likes to crowd out your healthy turf slowly over time.
This weed is pretty tough to control. Combatting it may require multiple rounds of post-emergent broadleaf weed control applications to reign it in. Also, maintaining a thick, green, healthy lawn can help it stand strong against buttonweed’s spread.
6. White Clover
White clover is another summer lawn weed in Virginia that you’ll recognize pretty quickly – not only because of its distinct white flowers, but also because it can grow very fast.
White clover likes low pH soils because lawns don’t grow well in them, so the weed can take over. It’s also a low-growing weed that attracts bees, making enjoying your lawn barefoot a risky endeavor.
Even though white clover is pretty hardy, it is somewhat smooth to control with selective, broadleaf weed control treatments.
7. Plantain
One of the more unsightly summer lawn weeds in Virginia is plantain. This perennial lawn weed really takes hold in compacted soils. Plantain has oval leaves that are waxy looking and reach from stalk-like branches.
With a fibrous root system, plantain can be tough to eliminate from your lawn. Post-emergent broadleaf weed control is the best way to take it down, and timing is usually best in fall or spring when the weed is weaker.
Summer Weed Control Tips and Tricks
Weeds certainly enjoy taking advantage of opportunities for lawn takeovers. And they’re after weak lawns that lack nutrients, drainage, aeration, and are stressed out and thinning, as a result.
Bring those conditions together with weather conditions like humidity, heat, and slower growth in the summer, and your lawn is susceptible to weed attack. In fact, with this mix of summer lawn weeds in Virginia see a party they can crash.
That’s why your largest defense against these unsightly lawn blemishes is a thick, healthy lawn.
How do you maintain a lawn that stands strong against weeds? Proper care.
This means mowing to a 3.5- to 4-inch height to keep your lawn from stressing out, providing the proper nutrient balance through fertilization, providing longer, infrequent irrigation, and aerating an overseeding once annually to limit compaction and fill in bare areas. Your ultimate goal is to create the best environment for your lawn to grow and give weeds less of a chance to sneak in.
This will keep a lot of them away. But weeds may still find a way through if the weather is just right. That’s when pre-emergent weed control can help with crabgrass and post-emergent weed control can help with other summer weeds. This is best done by a professional since each weed needs proper identification and precise herbicide timing to ensure maximum, targeted control. Lawn care pros will use specialty herbicides delivered with precise nozzles to reduce the particle size of the product and help it better stick to tough weeds.
Turf’s Up Can Help You Crush Common Weeds in Virginia Lawns
Weeds love the spotlight. They like to invade Northern Virginia lawns when the conditions give them the green light. Then they take center stage, and like divas they keep coming back for encores. You can’t get rid of them.
You don’t want to give weeds even a slight chance to take over, or they will use it. This can be pretty apparent in summertime when temperatures are hot and rain is infrequent and lawns slow their growth. You might be so focused on the nice weather that you don’t realize before it’s too late that summer weed control is necessary to take back your yard from the weed rampage.
Turf’s Up can help you by providing a complete, proactive lawn care program that includes everything you need to keep your lawn strong – proper fertilization based on soil test results, pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control treatments, lime applications to get your pH in the right range, and aeration, overseeding, and topdressing services.
When you have a professional eye on your property who can recognize these common lawn weeds in Virginia right away, you can keep weeds in check before they get out of hand and maintain that lush green lawn you love.
Ready to learn why Turf’s Up could be your totally awesome choice for lawn care services in Northern Virginia? We’re stoked to learn more about you and help you have the best lawn on the block. Get started today with a free quote. Together, we can prepare a customized plan that is perfect for you and your lawn.
IImage Source: Dallisgrass, Dandelion, Buttonweed, White Clover
