Weeds
Dollarweed
Solution
Dollarweed: Southern lawns' main problem.
Dollarweed, or Pennywort, looks like a bunch of little green coins. The leaves have scalloped edges and a stem that goes right to the center. An invasive species, Dollarweed loves the damp areas in your yard. It crowds out grass and other desirable plants. Treatment varies, depending on where you live and what the weed is invading. Here are some tips to help you control it.
Prevention and Maintenance
In St. Augustine Lawns
Hold off on watering for two weeks. St. Augustine can handle a dry spell, but dollarweed
can't. It becomes weak, and susceptible to treatments. Then you can apply a product such as
Ortho® Weed-B-Gon Weed Killer for St. Augustine Lawns, or
Scotts® Bonus S Weed and Feed. If your soil is sandy, water your lawn for about 10 minutes
after applying Bonus S. The following week, cut back to watering for only 5 minutes per
section. Watering for more than 15 minutes can wash Bonus S right through to to soil, making it
ineffective. Also, avoid mowing for 2 days before and after application.
Between treatments with Bonus S, you can spot-treat small patches of dollarweed with
Ortho® Weed-B-Gon® Spot Weed Killer for St. Augustine Lawns.
In Other Southern Lawns
If your lawn has Bahia, Bermuda, Centipede, Fescue, or Zoysia, treat it with Ortho® Weed-B-Gon MAX® Weed Killer for Southern Lawns.
Dollarweed Defined
Dollarweed was introduced to the mid–Atlantic states from Asia and has gradually migrated throughout the United States. It prefers damp, shady areas. Dollarweed is a perennial weed that has bright green, rounded leaves with wavy margins. It forms dense mats that crowd out desirable plants.
