Knowing the type of weed growing will help you develop a more effective treatment plan. Here are a few common weeds in our area and some tips on how to identify them. A WSI Territory Manager can also help you identify and treat any pesky weed!
ORCHARDGRASS
- Bunch-type perennial grass weed that forms light green clumps.
- Leaves have folded vernation and are wide (¼ to ½ inch), light green, and pointed at the tip.
- Sheaths are strongly compressed and flattened.
- Other features include long, membranous ligule and the open-panicle seedheads.
QUACKGRASS
- Perennial grass that grows more erect than orchardgrass and produces rhizomes.
- Leaves are rolled.
- A clasping auricle is present on the blades.
- Ligule is much smaller than orchardgrass.
BARNYARDGRASS
- Summer annual grass with wide (greater than ½ inch) leaves and sheaths that lie close to the ground.
- Seeds germinate later than crabgrass seeds, and plants do not tolerate low mowing heights.
- No ligule or auricles.
- The seedhead is composed of compact spikes arising at several locations on the main stalk.
Content and images sourced from Pennsylvania State University: http://plantscience.psu.edu/research/centers/turf/extension/factsheets/weed-management/grasses
http://extension.psu.edu/plants/green-industry/news/2014/orchardgrass-and-quackgrass
