Knawel - German Moss

(More Lawn Weeds) (Lawn Control Options) 

Lifecycle

Annual, summer or winter.

Growth habit

Low-growing, can blend into established lawns unnoticed. Has wiry, grass-like appearance. Sometimes forms sprawling mats. Inconspicuous flowers.

Reproduction 

Seed germination mainly in spring but can occur later in the season.

Conditions that favor growth

Dry, sandy, infertile soil. 

Management

Cultural control: Maintain healthy, dense turf that can compete and prevent weed establishment.
Mechanical control: Hand pulling or using an appropriate weeding tool are the primary means of mechanical weed control in lawns. This is a viable option at the beginning of an infestation and on young weeds. Hand pulling when the soil is moist makes the task easier. Weeds with tap roots like dandelions or have a basal rosette (leaves clustered close to the ground) like plantain are easier to pull than weeds such as Bermudagrass (wiregrass) or creeping Charlie (ground ivy) that spread with stolons or creeping stems that root along the ground.
General chemical control: (lawns) Spot treat weeds with a liquid, selective, postemergent, broadleaf weed killer applied when weeds are actively growing. Look for a combination product with the following active ingredients:
2, 4-D, MCPP (mecoprop), Dicamba* or Triclopyr.

*Do not spray herbicides containing dicamba over the root zone of trees and shrubs. Roots can absorb the product possibly causing plant damage. Read the product label for precautions. 

Organic control

For a glossary of herbicide terms and additional information see: control options