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pinkclogs

natural way to get rid of dollar weed

pinkclogs
18 years ago

We have lots of dollar weed. I've heard it's caused by overwatering, my husband's issue.

Anyway, we didn't water all winter to help control. Then st. augustine lawn turned brown and dollar weed grew more, wider, and greener!

We now have dollar weed mixed with grass over most of our lawn. Then there is a large section that appears to be almost nothing but dollar weed.

What is the natural solution? My husband has already applied scott's weed & feed (which I didn't want). Now I've asked him not to apply any more weed killer. What safe, organic, or natural method will help??? Do we have to re-sod the large patch that is nothing but dollar weed? I've tried pulling this stuff up and it's too big of a job for me.

Thanks for any replies.

Comments (21)

  • stevied
    18 years ago

    The only natural solution I know of is to dig it up by hand. Overwatering definitely promotes dollarweed growth, and less watering will help, but.... we live in Florida and plenty of water falls from the sky. So, I suspect you will have to rely on chemicals to control your Dollarweed, combined with careful watering practices to assure you do not overwater.

    Atrizine is the herbicide of choice for taking out dollarweed in St. Augustine. However, the EPA has recently banned it for use by homeowners. If you're lucky, you might still find a bottle or two at your local gardening supply store. If you aren't lucky, you can hire a licensed landscape/lawn maintenance company to apply it for you. However, they will likely be limited to applying atrizine to your yard to no more than two times per year.

    Atrizine is still available to homeowners as weed and feed fertilizer. So, in combintation with a commercial application of atrizine, you may want to use weed and feed fertilizer.

    You could try a product called Image. It's available for purchase by homeowners, can be used on St. Augustine turf, and is (supposedly) effective against Dollarweed. Image takes a long time to kill, however. Image is probably less toxic to the environment than atrizine, which is why, I suspect, homeowners can still buy it. I like to use Image and atrizine in combination. It's my own special cocktail.

    Try using the chemicals and see what happens. Perhaps the St. Augustine will come back by the end of summer. If not, you will likely have to re-sod.

    Yes, I understand you want a natural solution that saves the St. Augustine while killing the dollarweed. I just don't think such a solution exists.

  • pinkclogs
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Hi Stevie! I just replied to your reply to my post in landscaping design. Thanks twice!

    Anyway, we bought some image, but then I read you can't plant annuals after spraying image. That got me concerned about planting ANY flowering shrubs (including perennials) on my self-created theory that what kills annuals might make newly planted perennials and shrubs at least a bit sick. Plus I don't want to not be able to plant annuals in my front yard.

    Any experience with planting other flowers (annuals, perennials and/or shrubs) after applying image? Can image be applied in a controlled fashion, so that we can avoid future planned beds?

    Thanks again for your reply! I don't think I can dig up dollar weed by hand! Tried that last year for a couple of days and I think it grew faster in the spots where I dug!!

  • stevied
    18 years ago

    I find it impossible to hand pull dollarweed out of established turf. In my heavily muched planting beds, I still get dollarweed, but the mulch prevents the plant, roots, etc. from contacting the soil. Therefore it is pretty easy to hand pull from the beds.

    I believe the label on the Image container lists plants which are tolerant of Image. As I recall, there is a wide variety of perennials and shrubs which are safe/unaffected by Image. If not listed on the label, check out the manufacturer's website for the list.

    I think it would be safe to plant annuals 3 or 4 weeks after applying Image. Don't sue me if yours die, but I at least wouldn't hesitate to do so.

  • kissmel
    16 years ago

    Hey Icutup.

    How did it go with the baking soda? I am having a problem with dollar weed. I have 2 small dogs and I dont' want to use anything toxic or dangerous for my pets.

    Thanks

  • artgr99
    15 years ago

    Hi, I was wondering how deep in the soil does the dollar weed grow. I have a new garden area and this area has been covered last 10 years with a heavy cloth fabric.
    I just took this cover off and have roto tilled and added soil amendments.
    but there are dollar weed areas quite close, I would like to prevent these weeds from infiltrating new garden area.
    I wanted to put a barrier material down about 12" to prevent the root system from spreading into new garden.
    my last garden in a different area did get infested with dollar weed, I sprayed with atrizine for a few years, and all I accomplished was my vegetables did not do well at all. I think the chemicals inhibited the growth of any plants once they grew down in the soil a few inches
    any suggestions from my fellow gardeners
    thanks
    archie from NC

  • edmccall
    13 years ago

    I tried Image twice and the dollarweed is still laughing

  • golden1_yahoo_com
    13 years ago

    1 pound of granual surgar per 300 square feet will do in dollar weed. Water in after application. apply two to three times a year for prevention.

  • Kimmsr
    13 years ago

    This information from Clemson University seems to be very good.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Dollar weed

  • Jessica_Nichols3_everest_edu
    13 years ago

    Can the dollarweed kill the grass or harm anything in our garden?

  • Kimmsr
    13 years ago

    If the conditions are to the liking of the Dollarweed and nothing is done to control it this plant could take over your lawn.

  • HCMM
    10 years ago

    My Sister in Florida just gave me a formula for getting rid of dollar weed. As follows

    1 can beer (any kind)
    1 can coke
    1-1/2 cups dish detergent
    1-1/2 cups amonia

    She said she sprayed it last week and the dollar weed is turning brown now. Good luck, hope it works for you.
    Forgot to say, use spray that you connect water hose to.

    This post was edited by HCMM on Sat, Apr 6, 13 at 14:11

  • YoliS
    10 years ago

    Hi. I have been looking for the Dollarweed for a long time. Can I have some of your weed please. ysickles@hotmail.com
    Thank you
    Yoli

  • Kimmsr
    10 years ago

    HCMM, that looks like a Jerry Baker lawn fertilizer formula, that does not really work.

  • jessaka
    10 years ago

    Yolis, I brought dollarweed home from the park because it was so beautiful, but after a year it began covering even my azalea bush. It took me 3 years to dig it all out, and I think I got it all, but I had to get every single little root. But I know how you feel because I love it.

  • HCMM
    10 years ago

    kimmsr, Just checked with my Sister in Florida, she says she does not have a hint of dollar weed left. What can I say?

    HCMM

  • Melissa Gritz
    8 years ago

    HCMM is that formula safe for the St. Augustine grass?

  • jessaka
    8 years ago

    Since I last posted, a friend gave me some dollar weed that was growing near her pond. Actually, I saw it there and fell in love with it again. Brought some home, and it is on the north side of the house growing like crazy. I love it. My feeling is now this, wherever it wants to grow it can. If it covers a bush I will pull it off the bush.

  • Gordon Hancock
    7 years ago

    I live in the Panhandle of Florida. I have used Atrizine, Image and Scotts Weed and Feed for 5 years on my St. Augustine grass with absolutely no reduction of dollar weed. In fact they come back with a vengence of more and at lot larger. They will turn yellow and come right back. I have gone 30 days after spraying with no water and they turned yellow and came back. Any suggestions?

  • jessaka
    7 years ago

    When I really wanted to get rid of my milkweed, which I don't now, I dug them up and made sure I got every root, and threw them in the garbage. After doing that a few times since I had missed some roots, I was able to get rid of them. What a job.

  • Laurie (8A)
    7 years ago

    I have never seen dollarweed. It is a pretty little plant.


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