How to Identify Lawn Weeds in California
- 1). Note the time of year when you see the emerging weeds. Bluegrass, miner's lettuce and mistletoe grow throughout the winter months. Crabgrass, bermuda grass, dallisgrass, dandelion, goosegrass and white clover compete with grass during the summer. Also, creeping woodsorrel and buckhorn plantains can sprout up at anytime of year.
- 2). Examine the weed to find out if it is a grassy, sedge or broadleaf weed. Grasses have round hollow stems and grass blades that exhibit a wide vein running through the middle. Many gardeners confuse sedges with grass weeds. However, you can tell the difference by noting that their stems are triangular, rather than round. Broadleaf weeds have wider blades than grasses and their veins do not run directly up the middle.
- 3). Observe if there are flowers growing from the weeds. Many broadleaf weeds start blooming in the spring to early summer months. While their flowers may be attractive, they are stealing the nutrients to produce these flowers from your grass.
- 4). Test your soil's pH range. All plants have a specific pH range they need to survive. Purchase a soil pH test from your local county extension office. Dig a six-inch hole to collect soil samples. Mail the samples to the laboratory's address provided on the testing kit and wait for the results. Use the soil's existing pH range to help you narrow down the list of potential weeds. For example, crabgrass needs a range between 4.5 to 7.5., while bluegrass needs a range between 6.0 to 7.0.
- 5). Dig up the weeds and inspect the roots. Annual weeds have shallow root systems, while perennial weeds have extensive root systems (rhizomes) that help them spread.