NEed Help with Weed ID and Treatment

[bryankloos]

Hello All,

I have this weed everywhere in my yard. I treated with Drive XLR8 and 2-4-D last week and this bugger is still holding on.
All help is appreciated.

Thanks!

Bryan

[andy10917]

Oh, great! Those are pretty chewed-up (mowed?). Any chance that some had tiny pink flowers this year?

[bryankloos]

Seems like this may be the culprit. I'll confirm for flowers when I get home today.
The weeds were mowed, and also hit with 2-4-D and XLR8.
Do you know what this is? What is the best way to treat it?

[bryankloos]

This looks quite like my weed, minus the flowers.
This is possible as my weeds were mowed. I will look for flowers today when I get home from work.
What is this week, and whats the best way to treat it?

[TimmyG]

Anyone Seeing Tons of "Smartweed" This Year?

[andy10917]

With identification of the flowers, it would confirm "Smartweed" as your culprit. In pictures, it's hard to tell for sure without the flower ID and maybe a quarter coin in the picture to give a reference size for the leaves. Another culprit with similar leaves but longer, somewhat narrower leaves is "Japanese Stiltgrass". The treatments are different, so telling one from another is critical.

There is a thread on the ATY site about Smartweed invasions this year being out-of-control, and CT is damned near the epicenter of the worst of it. Read up on it: Smartweed Thread

It appears that the herbicide "Tenacity" is labelled for Smartweed control, and we're waiting for confirmation of the control by members. Other herbicides (cheaper) have reputable sites claiming control with cheaper or more common herbicides, but I've gotten feedback that says "not so much".

"Tenacity" is not available at big-box stores or simple garden centers.

[bryankloos]

Thanks all, Seems that based on my pink flowers, I'm dealing with the smartweed.
Notice here some pics of the areas affected by the 2-4-d and XLR8 combo. I'll research if these herbicides treat smartweed.

[deboy922]

Smartweed is one of the easier weeds to hand pull. I only have smartweed in my flower beds and not in the lawn, but I have eradicated it with a few pulling sessions.

[TimmyG]

^+1

We get the version called Spotted Ladysthumb (Polygonum persicaria) with the dark chevron pattern on the leaf. I learned my lesson long ago: you absolutely, positively need to stay on top of this weed early in the season. Know what it looks like before it goes to seed (easier with the chevron) and never walk by without hand pulling from garden beds, woodland edges, wetlands, etc. Once summer hits, it explodes in growth and goes to seed (I think of Good & Plenty) in the blink of an eye. And then it's too late.

[bryankloos]

I wish pulling these weeds was in the cards...
I have a 1/2 acre lawn that is a sea of this stuff.

I'm at the point where I"m thinking of napalming the entire lawn and starting fresh...

That will be another post.

[andy10917]

Get dirty. Get down on your hands and knees and figure out if there is grass between the Smartweed plants.

And post a picture of the lawn in medium-resolution and post it. Don't pick the worst spot nor the best spot -- a typical area is best.

Why? Each plant can generate 19,000 seeds, What makes you think it will be clean and fresh?