Poa annua is a common winter weed that can be found throughout lawns in Tennessee. This annual weed germinates in the fall and grows during the cool weather of the winter season. It then flowers and produces seeds in the spring, before dying off when summer arrives. To help prevent poa annua from growing on your lawn this winter, you should invest in pre-emergent weed control treatments in the fall. If this weed has already sprouted and infested your lawn, you can eliminate it with post-emergent weed control treatments.

What is poa annua?

Poa annua is an annual weed that commonly pops up on lawns here in Tennessee. This weed typically begins to germinate in late September and October, just as the cooler weather starts to set in for the winter months. Poa annua thrives in moist soil conditions and can spread quickly if left unchecked. This weed tends to grow between 6-8 inches tall when left unmowed, and its stems are usually green or brown. The leaves of poa annua are rounded and resemble blades of grass. Flowers will often appear at the top of the weed's stem in the spring, and they will produce seeds shortly after blooming. When summer rolls around, poa annua will begin to wilt and die off.

Prevent poa annua from taking over your lawn with pre-emergent weed control treatments.

If you want to prevent poa annua from taking over your lawn, one of the best ways to do so is by investing in pre-emergent weed control treatments. Pre-emergent weed control works by creating a barrier in the soil that prevents weeds from sprouting above the surface. This type of treatment needs to be applied early enough in the growing season so that it can establish itself in the soil before weeds like poa annua have a chance to start growing. If you wait too long to apply pre-emergent weed control, it might not work as well because the weeds could have already gotten past a certain point in their growth cycle. For poa annua, it's important to apply these treatments in the fall so they can prevent them from sprouting in the winter.

Eliminate existing poa annua using post-emergent weed control treatments.

While pre-emergent weed control treatments are great at preventing poa annua from sprouting, they won't affect any of these weeds that were already established. If you find yourself dealing with a lot of poa annua on your lawn, you can use post-emergent herbicides to eliminate them. Post-emergent weed control treatments work by directly targeting existing weeds. These treatments need to be applied directly onto the weed, and once it makes contact with the plant, it will sink into the soil and kill it at its roots.

Some common weeds in Tennessee that weed control treatments are effective against include crabgrass, nutsedge, doveweed, dallisgrass, and more.

Give us a call today to sign up for our weed control service!

At Picture Perfect Landscapes, we offer a weed control service that includes both pre- and post-emergent treatments throughout the year. We utilize both types of treatments to ensure your lawn remains free of pesky weeds like poa annua. What’s more, our weed control program also includes fertilization treatments, so your lawn will always have access to all of the nutrients that it needs to thrive! We offer our services to commercial and residential property owners, as well as HOAs, in Memphis, Midtown Memphis, East Memphis, TN, and throughout the surrounding areas. Give us a call at (901) 246-7656 to schedule our weed control service today! We look forward to helping you achieve the beautiful, weed-free lawn of your dreams!