Summer lawn weeds can become pretty nasty.
You certainly don’t want them in your Central or Southern Maryland lawn. You’d prefer a nice, green lawn that adds curb appeal and a cozy outdoor space you can hang out in. You don’t want your grass to be the worst on the block.
But weeds are, unfortunately, always lurking. They love humidity, heat, and even drought in some instances. And if your lawn is weak or you’re not managing it properly, they like to sneak in and take over.
And some weeds are worse than others.
Take goosegrass weed, for instance.
This is one of those weeds like crabgrass that you don’t want to get into your yard and take over.
Let’s learn more about this weed and how to get rid of goosegrass so you can get back to enjoying your lawn again.
Goosegrass Weed in Central and Southern Maryland
In general, there are two main types of weeds that can show up in your lawn: broadleaf weeds and grassy weeds.
Broadleaf weeds have wide leaves. Think of a dandelion as a good example of a broadleaf weed. Grassy weeds, on the other hand, can look like your lawn grasses with thinner, longer leaves.
Even though these weeds look like grass, they can look a bit out of place in your nice, neat lawn, growing higher or in a slightly different color than the rest of your grass.
Goosegrass weed is one of these grassy weeds. Here’s more about this lawn invader.
What is Goosegrass?
Goosegrass weed is a summer annual grassy weed.
This weed has also been called silver crabgrass. In fact, goosegrass looks a lot like crabgrass, except while crabgrass is light green in color, goosegrass is darker green with a white center.
What Does Goosegrass Look Like?
This coarse, bunch-type grassy weed forms a rosette of low-growing flattened stems.
The easiest way to identify goosegrass weed is by looking for its whitish, flat stems. While it does look quite a bit like crabgrass and dallisgrass, its stems are flatter and it is more difficult to pull up by hand.
Where Can You Find Goosegrass Weed?
Goosegrass weed grows well in compacted and poorly drained soil. You might see it emerge in a lawn that’s been mowed too short.
In fact, this warm-season, grassy weed predominates in compacted areas or where there's a lot of heavy wear and tear on your lawn.
How to Get Rid of Goosegrass
The best way to stop a weed like goosegrass is to tackle it ahead of time.
Similar to crabgrass, how to kill goosegrass starts with a pre-emergent weed control application in the spring.
Then, post-emergent treatments can be used to handle any goosegrass weeds that do get through.
Your Wish to Kill Grassy Lawn Weeds Is Our Command
Goosegrass weed is certainly an unwanted visitor to Central and Southern Maryland home lawns.
In addition to tips on how to get rid of goosegrass that we shared above, another great way to avoid goosegrass is to use proper lawn care practices, including fertilization, adequate irrigation, proper mowing, and lawn aeration and overseeding, which can help promote a thicker, greener lawn that has the power to shut weeds like goosegrass out. When you mow, mow to a 3.5- to 4-inch height; water at infrequent, longer intervals; include regular fertilization targeted to your lawn’s specific deficiencies; and annually aerate and overseed to prevent compaction and encourage thicker growth.
Weed control is such a pain. It can become so confusing to identify which weeds you have and then successfully keep them out of your yard. We completely understand.
If you are having a tough time battling weeds in your Central and Southern Maryland lawn, give Natural Green Systems a call. We can help you by offering a complete, proactive lawn care program that includes proper fertilization, as well as both pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control treatments throughout the growing season. Our annual aeration and overseeding can keep compaction at bay as well. Then weeds like goosegrass won’t have a chance.
Goosegrass weed ruining your day? Natural Green Systems would love to help. Get started today with a free quote. Together, we’ll prepare a customized plan so you can take back control of your lawn. 
Image Source: Goosegrass
