Quackgrass

(More Lawn Weeds)  (Lawn Control Options)  

Quackgrass
Agropyron repens

Lifecycle 

Perennial, cool season weed.

Growth habit

Creeping, can grow up to 3 ft. tall; blue-green color. Leaf blades have rough texture.

Reproduction

Sharp-tipped, creeping rhizomes. The seed head forms in the summer and resembles wheat.

Developing rhizomes

Conditions that favor growth 

Poor lawn maintenance practices.

Management

Cultural control: Maintain healthy, dense turf that can compete and prevent weed establishment.
Mechanical control: Small infestations can be dug out. 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:  Herbicides for controlling perennial grass weeds are limited and usually available to lawn care companies and landscapers.  Small infestations can be dug out or sprayed with a non-selective herbicide (glyphosate). Reseed the area after you are certain that you have 100% kill.

Publication: TT 46 Perennial Grass Weeds and Their Control in Cool-Season Turf

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