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Dealing with Difficult Weeds

Wayne Hobbs Environmental Horticulture Agent
Posted 5/3/17

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Every yard seems to have one. That dollar weed that stays in the turf, the torpedo grass in your beds, or the green briar growing through your hedge – the weeds that just …

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Dealing with Difficult Weeds


Posted

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Every yard seems to have one. That dollar weed that stays in the turf, the torpedo grass in your beds, or the green briar growing through your hedge – the weeds that just never seem to go away. You pull them, cut them and spray them but they just seem to come back. Is it hopeless, no, but there are some methods for each that can help you gain control over your toughest weeds.

Green Briar

The common name for several species of the genus Smilax are found in Florida, green briars can grow extensively through the landscape. These vines can be identified by their green stem, thorns and variable shaped leaves that grow upwards or outwards, oftentimes covering over landscape plants in their way. This plant starts as a seed but grows quickly and develops an underground bulb that can become quite large and if you kill one shoot, another bulb may quickly send a new one to take its place.

Control of green briar can be achieved in a few ways. First of all, it is always easier to deal with these plants and other vines when they are young and small. Digging the shoots and bulbs from the ground is often effective but may be time consuming. Glyphosate, commonly known as Round-up and found in many other products, or tricoplyr, the active ingredient in Brush-B-Gone can be used for chemical control, just make sure to move the vines to be sprayed out and away from nearby desirable plants. You can also cut the shoots to the ground and then treat the new growth, which is usually more susceptible to chemicals. If you see new shoots after an application, apply the product as described on the label again until new growth ceases. You can also consider painting the herbicide on stems or leaves with a brush or pouring some in a floral water pick with a cap and placing stem into the solution.

Torpedograss

One of the most aggressive invasive grass species, Torpedograss can be identified by its sharply pointed growing tips, hairy leaf sheaths and margins, and its long length (often up to 3-feet). If you have a grass that keeps growing up your shrubs, this is likely the culprit. Torpedograss is also known for how hard it is to remove from the landscape.

Pulling the grass can be somewhat effective, but if one small part of the underground stem is left, the grass can return. The most effective control is through the use of glyphosate products on the leaves and multiple applications are often needed. Like the green briar, it can also be effective to cut back the grass and spray the young emerging leaves as they are more susceptible to the chemicals.

Dollarweed

One of the most maligned plants found in Clay County has to be Dollarweed. This frequent St. Augustinegrass invader loves moist conditions and can be identified by its round leaves and white stems. It can also be found heavily in landscape beds and surprisingly, parts of the plant are edible.

To control this weed, one of the first keys is to make sure you are not overwatering your lawn and landscape and giving the plant its favorite growing conditions. If it is still an issue, control it chemically within the lawn with a product safe for your turfgrass. A list of effective products can be found at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep389. In beds, hand removal can work but small pieces of the plant can regrow if left in the soil. A spray of glyphosate or another non-selective herbicide can offer some control.

If you have any questions about the Master Gardener program, landscape and garden topics, or need plant or pest materials identified, contact the University of Florida/IFAS Extension Office online at http://www.clay.ifas.ufl.edu, follow us on Facebook, or call by phone at (904) 284-6355.