I Think I See A Weed

For our first blog post what do you think the Weed Man would write about, a weed, right?  Well, not exactly.  It’s common for us to receive phone calls every spring asking us to respond to a weed problem.  We dispatch our technician and he can’t find any broadleaf weeds anywhere.  Turns out, it’s usually poa annua, or annual bluegrass.

Annual bluegrass is a winter annual that thrives in cool weather when lawns can be susceptible to weeds and disease.   Typically, as the season warms up throughout Montgomery and Chester Counties, annual bluegrass will die out.

Nevertheless, there are several ways to manage annual bluegrass.  To control annual bluegrass, the best defense is a good offense. This starts by maintaining a thick, healthy lawn with a strong root base. A dense lawn and root system will choke out “Poa” and other invasive weeds, and not allow them to take root and grow. Invasive weeds do not like to compete with a healthy, growing lawn.

Other tips for preventing annual bluegrass include:

• ·         Cutting your grass higher (2½ inches to 3½ inches).

• ·         Do not overwater. Eliminate areas of excessive moisture by improving drainage and infrequent, deep watering practices.  Our website also provides specific watering instructions for soil types from Glenside to Phoenixville.

• ·         Trim trees and overgrown bushes that hang over your lawn and provide excessive shade.

·         Seeds and plant parts can contaminate equipment, particularly lawn mowers, and spread to new areas. Cleaning equipment prior to mowing or doing work in a new area of your lawn can help reduce the spread of annual bluegrass.

For more helpful information on controlling annual bluegrass or other invasive weeds in your lawn visit our website .