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What weed is this?

by Mandy
(Kansas)

I live in North Central KS (mid March) and our yard is starting to bloom this type of plant/weed. What is it? We have just freshly thatched, mulched, bagged out the majority of the dead grass in hopes of growing some fresh grass from seed (fescue). I’m so afraid of stickers and want to make sure this isn’t a kind of sticker weed. Plz advise on types of treatment to rid the yard if this. Ty 🙂

Comments for What weed is this?

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Mar 21, 2018

No Idea
by: Jacki

Hi Mandy, I don't recognize this little guy. There are many weeds that grow locally so you will have different ones than what grows near me. Much of that depends on the soil type and other local conditions.

The best thing to do to find out what it is is to contact your local agriculture extension office. They are more likely to be familiar with the local species.

As to them appearing after you thatched, that's typical - most weeds are opportunistic and you just removed the competition for light. Grow a healthy crop of grass and shade them out. You may never get rid of them entirely, but you can make it harder for them to survive.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'stickers'? You mean prickles or thorns?

To get rid of them, if there are only one or two, use a propane torch to burn them to the ground - make sure to get the roots, or dig them. If there are lots, consider solarization of the area first before seeding.

Keep in mind that these types of weeds only thrive in their perfect conditions, so change the conditions. If your soil is pure clay, add some sand and compost for drainage, or sprinkle some Dolomite Lime toalter the pH.

Here's a link to your Extension Office - contact them if you still need to identify your weed.

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