What Are the Most Common Lawn Weeds in Kansas?

Weeds are resilient and persistent plants that can infiltrate your lawn, competing for essential nutrients and water. In Kansas, some of the most common types of weeds that can emerge on your lawn include dandelions, crabgrass, spurge, and nutsedge. Each of these weeds has its own unique characteristics, growth patterns, and life cycles. For example, dandelions are known for their bright yellow flowers and deep taproots, while crabgrass is a low-growing, sprawling weed. Spurge and nutsedge also present their own challenges due to their rapid spreading and resilience.

Dandelions are one of the most common weeds in Kansas.

Dandelions are a familiar sight to many of us. These weeds, known for their bright yellow flowers, eventually transform into fluffy white seed heads that disperse in the wind and spread their seeds. In Kansas, dandelions are particularly resilient and widespread weeds, often appearing as small green seedlings in the early spring and later blossoming into vibrant yellow flowers across lawns.

Effective dandelion control often starts with prevention. To prevent dandelions from taking over your lawn, you should consider investing in pre-emergent weed control. This proactive approach can help stop dandelions in their tracks before they have the opportunity to establish and spread, offering a more effective long-term solution to weed control.

Crabgrass is notorious for being difficult to control.

Crabgrass is a prevalent weed species found in Kansas. It tends to dominate lawns during the late spring and summer seasons, especially in warm and humid conditions. This invasive weed species is characterized by its coarse, light green leaves that form dense patches across your turf, making it a nuisance. Crabgrass thrives in lawns that suffer from improper mowing and watering practices. Its aggressive nature allows it to outcompete desirable grass species, leading to an unsightly and unhealthy lawn if left unchecked. The best way to manage crabgrass is through weed control treatments, both pre-emergent and post-emergent.

Spurge is a low-growing annual weed that is tough to control.

Spurge is a persistent, low-growing annual weed that commonly invades lawns throughout Kansas. This resilient weed spreads rapidly, and a single plant can result in thousands of seeds, enabling it to establish a strong foothold in lawns. The plant produces small clusters of round, dark-green leaves, and its characteristic feature is the milky sap contained within the leaves and stems. This milky sap serves as a key identification feature that distinguishes spurge from similar-looking weeds. Typically emerging in the early spring, spurge thrives in warm and sunny conditions, persisting through the summer months and often lasting until the first frost of the winter season.

Nutsedge is notoriously difficult to control due to its unique root system.

Nutsedge is a troublesome weed that poses a specific challenge for property owners in Kansas. This weed grows in clumps of triangular-shaped leaves that stand upright above the surrounding grass blades. Nutsedge leaves are usually a lighter shade of green than the surrounding grass and have round stems. It also has rhizomes and tubers, making it a well-established, difficult weed to control. Nutsedge is highly adaptive and can withstand a wide range of environmental stressors. The best solution for controlling nutsedge is with weed control treatments. Pre-emergents are ideal for preventing this weed from surfacing in the first place, while post-emergent applications will eliminate any existing growth.

Call us today to sign up for our comprehensive weed control service!

If you want to keep your lawn free of weeds year-round, we're the team to rely on! At Lawn and Landscape Solutions, we provide our weed control service, which includes multiple rounds of pre- and post-emergent treatments to effectively prevent and eliminate weeds, such as dandelions, crabgrass, spurge, nutsedge, and more. Along with weed control, our service also includes fertilizer treatments and grub control.

We serve residential properties in the Overland Park, KS, area, including Leawood and Mission Hills. We even service some select locations in Missouri. Call us today at (913) 238-9318 to enroll in our weed control service!