Different weeds need different control methods. This guide breaks down how to control annual weeds, perennial weeds, grassy weeds, and broadleaf weeds so you can save time, money, and effort while protecting your lawn.
For DIY weed control, depending on the weed type, you’ll need pre-emergent herbicides, post-emergent herbicides, point-and-shoot contact weed killers, and/or dandelion forks, weed pullers, and corkscrew weeders to remove weed roots.
Need professional help? Lawn Love’s local weed control experts can identify your specific weeds and create a customized treatment plan.
| Key Takeaways |
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| • Match your method to the weed type: Annual weeds need prevention (pre-emergents); perennial weeds require systemic herbicides that kill roots. • Timing matters: Apply pre-emergents in early spring for summer annual weeds and late summer for winter annual weeds; treat perennials in early fall when they’re storing energy in roots. • Prevention beats treatment: A dense, healthy lawn crowds out weeds so focus on proper mowing, fertilization, and overseeding thin areas. |
Weed control tips for grassy weeds
Grassy weeds mimic the grass on your lawn but usually stand out due to differences in color, texture, or growth rate. Grassy weeds have round, hollow stems and narrow, upright leaves that make them harder to treat with point-and-spray weed killers.
Common grassy weeds: crabgrass, goosegrass, annual bluegrass, and dallisgrass
How to control grassy weeds:
- Use selective herbicides for grassy weeds. Killing grassy weeds requires specialized products because these weeds look like the grass on your lawn. Sam Bauer, teaching specialist at the University of Minnesota, recommends looking for herbicides with active ingredients like fenoxaprop-P-ethyl and quinclorac. Aaron Steil at Iowa State University also suggests herbicides containing fluazifop-p, sethoxydim, and clethodim.
- Hand-pulling grassy weeds is less effective. Many grassy weeds, like creeping bentgrass, spread through stolons and rhizomes. If you pull these grassy weeds, remove the entire root system to prevent regrowth.
- Severe infestations may require non-selective herbicides. For lawns overrun with grassy weeds, you might need weed killers containing glyphosate (Roundup, for example), glufosinate (a key ingredient of Finale), or diquat. These herbicides kill everything, so treat the affected area and reseed afterward.
See Related: How to Identify and Control Grassy Weeds
Weed control tips for broadleaf weeds
Broadleaf weeds have wider leaves with more surface area, making them easier to identify and treat precisely without harming surrounding grass. The presence of broadleaf weeds often signals soil pH or nutrient imbalances.
Common broadleaf weeds: dandelion, clover, plantain, chickweed, henbit
How to control broadleaf weeds:
- Start with a soil test. Most broadleaf weeds thrive in poor soil conditions. Correct pH imbalances and nutrient deficiencies before treating broadleaf weeds — healthier soil yields stronger, thicker grass that naturally resists weeds.
- Dig deep to remove tap roots. Dandelions, plantain, and similar weeds have long tap roots. Remove the entire root system several inches below the soil surface to prevent regrowth.
- Try homemade weed killers on seedlings. Vinegar, baking soda, or boiling water can work on young weeds with fewer than six leaves. You often will need to apply homemade weed killers multiple times to see results.
- Use selective broadleaf herbicides for established weeds. Matthew Elmore, extension specialist at Rutgers University, recommends products containing 2,4-D, dicamba, MCPA, MCPP, dichlorprop, triclopyr, or sulfentrazone. Choose products targeting your specific weeds, or use combination formulas for broader coverage.
- Some broadleaf weeds resist organic control methods. Violets, ground ivy (creeping Charlie), wild strawberry, mossy stonecrop, and yarrow are particularly stubborn and often require chemical herbicides.
See Related: How to Identify and Control Broadleaf Weeds
Weed control tips for annual weeds
Annual weeds complete their life cycle in one season, investing energy in flowering and seed production rather than deep roots. Once they die, annual weeds don’t regrow – but thousands of seeds can germinate the following year.
Common annual weeds: crabgrass (summer), goosegrass (summer), annual bluegrass (winter), chickweed (winter), and henbit (winter)
How to control annual weeds:
Apply pre-emergent herbicides at the right time. Timing is everything:
- Early spring (when soil reaches 55 degrees) for summer annuals like crabgrass and goosegrass
- Late summer/early fall for winter annuals like henbit and chickweed
Mow regularly when annual weeds are flowering. You want to cut seed heads before they form, and bag clippings instead of mulching them back into the lawn.
Hand-pull small patches of weeds easily. Annual weeds have shallow roots and won’t regrow if you remove even part of the root system.
Post-emergent herbicides work well. Both contact and systemic herbicides control annual weeds once they sprout. DIY weed killer recipes with vinegar, citric acid, essential oils, or boiling water also can be effective.
Weed control tips for biennial weeds
Biennial weeds take two years to complete their life cycle. The first year, biennial weeds grow low rosettes of leaves. The second year, they send up tall flowering stalks that produce seeds.
Common biennial weeds: bull thistle, burdock, Queen Anne’s lace, and wild carrot
How to control biennial weeds:
Treat in the rosette stage. Biennials are most vulnerable to herbicides in fall or early spring when they’re in the rosette form. Once the stem begins shooting taller, biennial weeds become much more resistant to herbicides.
Sever the root below the crown. Hand-pull or dig scattered plants, cutting the root a couple of inches below soil level to prevent regrowth.
Mow before seed formation. Cut down second-year biennial weeds before they flower. A second mowing later often is needed since biennials have dormant crown buds that can initiate growth after removal of the primary stalk.
Weed control tips for perennial weeds
Perennial weeds are the most challenging. These weeds live for years, regrowing from deep root systems and spreading through seeds, rhizomes, stolons, bulbs, or tubers.
Common perennial weeds: dandelion, clover, nutsedge, creeping Charlie, poison ivy
How to control perennial weeds:
Use systemic herbicides. This is the most effective approach for perennial weeds. Systemic products move through the entire plant from leaves to roots, preventing regrowth.
Apply weed killers at the right time. Apply systemic herbicides in early fall when weeds transport energy to their roots for winter dormancy. Avoid applications in early spring – weed killers for perennials are less effective when stored root energy is feeding new growth above ground.
Mow regularly to weaken perennial weeds. Frequent mowing prevents seed formation and limits the ability of perennial weeds to store energy in roots, weakening these weeds over time.
Hand-pulling works only on young perennial weeds. This method succeeds only if you remove the entire root system. Any root fragments left behind will regrow.
Pre-emergents have limited effect. These weed killers prevent seeds from germinating but don’t stop growth from established root systems.
See related guides for how to get rid of stubborn perennial weeds:
- How to Get Rid of Dandelions
- How to Get Rid of Poison Ivy
- How to Get Rid of Clover
- How to Get Rid of Nutsedge
- How to Get Rid of Creeping Charlie
FAQs
Perennial weeds are the most challenging to control because they regrow from deep, extensive root systems year after year. Among perennials, certain broadleaf species are particularly stubborn: violets, ground ivy (creeping Charlie), wild strawberry, mossy stonecrop, and yarrow resist organic control methods and often require multiple chemical herbicide applications.
These weeds spread aggressively through runners or rhizomes and bounce back quickly even after treatment.
For grassy perennials, quackgrass and nimblewill are notoriously difficult to control due to their vigorous rhizome systems.
In contrast, annual and biennial weeds are much easier to manage since these types of weeds don’t have established root systems and can be controlled with pre-emergents, regular mowing, or single herbicide applications.
Grassy weeds and broadleaf weeds have different plant structures and physiology, requiring different herbicide formulas.
Grassy weeds have narrow, upright leaves and similar biology to the grass of your lawn, so standard broadleaf herbicides won’t harm them.
Broadleaf weeds have wider leaves and different cellular structures that make them vulnerable to herbicides containing 2,4-D, dicamba, or triclopyr.
What this means: If you use a broadleaf herbicide on grassy weeds, it won’t work. Similarly, grassy weed herbicides with ingredients like fenoxaprop-P-ethyl target grass physiology specifically and won’t affect broadleaf weeds.
This is why identifying whether your weed is grassy or broadleaf is the first step in choosing the right treatment.
Professional weed control typically costs $65-$165 for a quarter-acre lot, varying by weed type, herbicide needed, and treatment method.
Perennial weed removal often costs more than prevention of annual weeds due to the need for systemic herbicides and multiple applications.
Learn more from our guide: How Much Does Weed Control Cost?
Lawn Love makes weed control easy
Many homeowners wait too long and let weeds take over their lawn before calling for professional weed control. Don’t wait. Early intervention costs less and delivers better weed control results.
Lawn Love’s local weed control pros identify your specific weeds and apply targeted treatments at the right time. Our pros handle everything from pre-emergent applications, to hand pulling weeds, to removal of stubborn perennial weeds.
And remember, one way to control weeds is great lawn care, which includes regular mowing. Our local lawn mowing pros will keep your yard trim and looking great – which helps your grass to crowd out and resist weeds.
Lawn Love makes it easy to protect your lawn before weeds take over.
Sources
- Bauer, S. (n.d.). Options for controlling weeds in your lawn this summer. University of Minnesota. https://turf.umn.edu/news/options-controlling-weeds-your-lawn-summer
- Elmore, M. (2003, July). Broadleaf Weed Control in Cool Season Turfgrasses. Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs385/
- Steil, A. (2024). How to Manage Perennial Grassy Weeds in the Garden and Lawn. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-manage-perennial-grassy-weeds-garden-and-lawn
Main Image: Weeds emerging through patchy, thinning lawn grass. Image Credit: Amy Stenglein / Lawn Love
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