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- Dallisgrass in Centipede
Good morning Mr. Gill. I have a few questions about my centipede lawn. I have several patches of the weed pictured and can't seem to get rid of it. It has a long stem with what looks like seedlings that grows out along with the broad leaves that you see. I've tried Weed B Gon and it doesn't seem to work. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Also, I have some bare patches in my centipede that get full sun and I wanted to know if there is a way I can get them to thicken up and fill in.
Lastly, I have a couple of areas that are bare to the mud that don't get much sun and wanted to know if there is a seed or sod you can recommend so I can get grass growing there.
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
Sincerely, Ross B.
This weed appears to be dallisgrass. Selectively controlling dallisgrass in centipede is difficult. The most effective way to kill dallisgrass in centipedegrass is to spot spray with glyphosate (Killzall, Roundup and other brands). This will, unfortunately, kill the centipede in that spot and damage the lawn. Try to focus the treatment right on the dallisgrass clump and get as little as possible on the centipede.
The living centipedegrass will generally grow in from the edges and cover the damage if the spot is 12 inches wide or less. You can buy some sod pieces and cut them to size to repair the spots where the centipede was killed when you sprayed the dallisgrass. That instantly repairs the damage.
If you have not fertilized your centipede lawn yet, do so now. Fertilizer is the most important tool we have to encourage lawn grass to grow more vigorously. That might help fill in the thin areas. If you have already fertilized, give the lawn some time to grow.
In the shady areas where there is bare soil, I recommend laying sod. Those areas may be too shady for the centipedegrass to grow well there. If that is the case, the new sod will not likely do well in the long run. (Click here for more information about grass in shady areas.)
When you purchase sod for the areas that are bare, you can purchase enough to patch the damage done when you kill off the dallisgrass. You could even cut some of the sod into 3 by 3 inch pieces (called plugs) and plant these spaced about 8 to 12 inches apart into the thin areas of the lawn. As they grow they can help fill in the areas.
Dan Gill
Consumer Horticulture Specialist