How to Remove Dallisgrass from Your Northeast OH Lawn

All you want is a nice, green lawn. It’s really not too much to ask for at your Northeast Ohio home. 

But weeds can certainly get in the way. They are leggy and tall, standing out from your regular grass. They seem determined to ruin the look of your healthy, well-kept lawn, detracting from its curb appeal-building qualities and making you want to hide from the neighbors out of shame. 

And when the weeds that crop up in your lawn look like grass, this can almost be worse. And, before you know it, grassy weeds seem to have taken over your good grass. 

In Northeast Ohio lawns, dallisgrass is one of these grassy weeds that can sneak into your lawn, look like grass, and once it's in, it can be tough to control and eliminate. 

Because knowing the weed you’re fighting is important to proper weed control, let’s talk about what dallisgrass looks like and how to get rid of dallisgrass, so you can better identify and get a handle on your lawn weed problem and enjoy your lawn again. 

Let’s Start With This Question: What is Dallisgrass?

We know grassy weeds can be especially annoying when they show up in your Northeast Ohio lawn. You just want them to go away. 

And even though you don’t want to get to know these weeds any better, understanding them and their differences can really help you get a handle on them in your lawn. Each one has unique attributes that give you insight into how to stop them. 

When you look at dallisgrass, it has a lot of unique characteristics that you can comprehend to help you learn how to get rid of dallisgrass. 

Dallisgrass Height 

One way to recognize whether you’re looking at dallisgrass is to check its height in your lawn. 

Dallisgrass is a tall weed that stands upright, so when you want to get rid of dallisgrass, you’re looking for a taller standing weed.

Dallisgrass Weed Seeds

 You can also identify and get rid of dallisgrass by looking at its seed heads. 

Dallisgrass seed heads are very large, and they have small black spots on them as they grow off the sides of the weed’s stems. 

Dallisgrass Growth Habit 

When you’re trying to tell whether you have dallisgrass in your Northeast Ohio lawn, you may want to pay attention to how the weed grows in order to learn how to get rid of dallisgrass. 

Dallisgrass grows in a clump that slowly increases in diameter as its shallow, short, underground stems grow outward.

Dallisgrass Color Differences 

If you take a close look at the weeds in your lawn, you’ll notice a slight difference in color between dallisgrass and regular grass. 

Dallisgrass tends to be more of a pale green color, so you know you’re targeting the right weed with lawn care services in Northeast Ohio. 

Crabgrass is usually more of a bluish-green, while dallisgrass tends to be more of a pale green color. 

Dallisgrass is a Perennial Weed

Dallisgrass is a perennial, which means it grows back each year from the same root system. 

Getting rid of dallisgrass means looking for a weed that grows in solid, circulate clumps. 

How to Get Rid of Dallisgrass 

Yes, when it comes to this weed that looks like grass, you definitely want to learn how to get rid of dallisgrass before it takes over and then keeps coming back in your lawn every year. 

Let’s look at how you control dallisgrass so you can fight the weed once you properly identify your weed problem.

How to Manage Dallisgrass

Pre-emergent weed control is not effective at stopping dallisgrass before it starts. 

This means using a selective herbicide is how to get rid of dallisgrass. And you may need to use two applications to control this weed and prevent it from getting worse. 

How to Prevent Dallisgrass

Getting rid of dallisgrass is one thing; preventing it is another. 

Dallisgrass likes sun and warm temperatures. It also will take advantage of a thin or stressed lawn, so there are things you can do to keep your lawn thick, healthy, and green to enable it to withstand dallisgrass infestations.  

Follow these tips for a lawn that is more bulletproof against dallisgrass: 

• Don’t mow too short. Mowing your lawn too short stresses it. Mow to a 3- to 4-inch height to ensure your tall, thick grass blocks the sun’s light that could germinate weed seeds.

• Water correctly. Water with a minimum of 1½ inches of water each week, keeping rainfall in mind.
• Thicken your lawn with annual aeration and overseeding each fall to increase lawn density, ensuring dallisgrass doesn’t have as much of a chance to emerge.

Do You Have Dallisgrass? It’s Time to Get Rid of It 

Weeds never take time off. When the right conditions are present, they jump into your lawn and plan their takeover. And dallisgrass is no exception. 

To get rid of dallisgrass, you have to plan ahead. And that means working with a Northeast Ohio lawn care service provider that knows how to battle these weeds and can also keep your lawn healthy with proper mowing, watering, and fertilization. They should also know the proper timing of weed applications to ensure control and keep a watch for any breakthroughs. 

You want to be outside playing catch with your kids and fetch with your dog. You don’t want to waste time managing a weed like dallisgrass.  

Let Turf Pride help you get your time back. We can get down to business taking care of dallisgrass in your lawn, so you can worry more about fun and less about this problem in your grass. 

Ready to learn why Turf Pride could be your choice for lawn care services in Northeast Ohio? We’re excited to learn more about you and help you have the best lawn on the block. Get started today with a free quote. Together, we can prepare a customized plan that is perfect for you and your lawn. 

Image Sources: Dallisgrass 1, Dallisgrass 2, Dallisgrass 3