How Do I Identify Lawn Weeds in Georgia?
- 1). Look at the weeds and notice if they have grassy blades (grass-like weeds) or broad leaves (broad-leaf weeds). On broad-leaf weeds, notice the shape of the leaves, such as a scallop shape along the leaf margins (edges).
- 2). Examine the leaves or blades and pay attention to the texture. They may be rough or smooth. See if the blades or leaves are hairy. Defining these characteristics helps to ensure proper identification. For example, "smooth crabgrass" has smooth blades on both sides that are not hairy, but "tropical crabgrass," another crabgrass variety, has leaves that are rough and hairy.
- 3). Observe the growth pattern. For example, blades of Alexander grass fan out horizontally from the same location on the ground where the root originates. The bitter sneezeweed, on the other hand, grow upright from the same location and then divide into many upright branches to form a bushy, flowering broad-leaf weed.
- 4). Notice if the weeds flower, what color they are, when they bloom and what shape. Note that if you cut your weeds often, they may not have a chance to flower, so don't assume they don't. To make identification easier, give at least one set of weeds time to mature and flower.
- 5). Open the University of Georgia's weed management website. Click on either "Broadleaf Weeds" or "Grass-like Weeds" and then choose to have your results listed as pictures. Look at the pictures and select the one that best matches your observations. Read the description to verify if it is the weed that is plaguing your lawn.
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