Specific Weeds
What is Barnyardgrass and How Do I Control It?
Barnyardgrass is a notorious thief that likes nothing better than to steal nitrogen and other nutrients from your lawn. Without effective control, this tenacious weed will continue to grow and spread throughout your lawn with abandon.
Howard F. Schwartz, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org
How to Identify Barnyardgrass
Like crabgrass and foxtail, barnyard grass is an annual grassy weed. It loves moist, well-fertilized lawns and is easily recognizable thanks to its purple-tinged stem, long, flat leaves (each with a prominent vein running down the middle), and tendency to sprawl. It’s even easier to spot when it blooms, producing a bristly purple seedhead -- but don’t wait until this point to take action. Barnyardgrass produces loads of seeds, so you need to kill it while it’s young.
How to Keep Barnyardgrass Under Control
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Give Your Lawn Some TLC
A thick, well-maintained lawn is the best way to prevent weeds like barnyardgrass from moving in and taking over. By regularly feeding your yard (4 times per year), you’ll encourage grass growth that’s lush and full, leaving little room for weeds.
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Don't Pluck It Out
Hand-pulling is, to be honest, a time-waster. If you don’t get every single bit of root, barnyardgrass will just grow back. What’s more, if you don’t kill it before it produces seeds, it’s almost guaranteed that you'll be dealing with barnyardgrass again next summer. So instead...
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Spray It with Roundup® For Lawns
The most effective way to control barnyardgrass is to spray it with a weed control product made for use on lawns, like Roundup® For Lawns. That way, you’ll be able to KO barnyardgrass -- and other weeds listed on the label -- without doing any damage to your grass (ust be sure to use as directed). For random, small patches of barnyardgrass, reach for Roundup® for Lawns1 Ready-To-Use. If you’ve got a more widespread problem, though, Roundup® for Lawns3 Ready-To-Spray or Roundup® For Lawns2 Concentrate is a better option. Don't be upset if you need to treat this weed pest more than once, either, as barnyardgrass can be difficult to kill.
