How To Kill Dallisgrass And Get Rid Of It For Good?

We all know how stubborn and annoying dallisgrass can be, ruining your perfectly kept lawn and coming back time and time again. Dallisgrass has roots growing extremely deep and is perennial which is even worst news, so not only is it a struggle to destroy but it just seems to regrow. How to kill dallisgrass could be difficult and to get rid of this weed for good might be a real challenge.

Dallisgrass is said to be one of the most invasive and difficult weeds to control and we have all experienced its fury, how to kill dallisgrass is not only challenging but also tricky as you do not want it re growing again, spoiling your beautiful garden. We have discussed the fight against crabgrass and the best ways to get rid of it with either herbicides or natural methods. It might be worth to read up on it as it can be useful in the case of a dallisgrass infestion too.

Luckily as hard as it may seem we have found a few ways how to kill dallisgrass and a few interesting tricks to get rid of dallisgrass for good!

But before we can get into that let us first try to understand what exactly is dallisgrass, to get a better grip on dealing with this nuisance.

What is dallisgrass?

Dallisgrass, also known as Dallas grass or sticky heads, is a grassy weed that can grow in both private and public gardens. Native to South America, dallisgrass is an introduced species across the world and at many places now considered as an invasive pets, due to its rapid growth and spread rate (source).

It looks like a circular clump of grass of which the inner leaves may die and the outer leaves continue to grow. Dallisgrass has an extensive root system that can take over your entire lawn if not dealt with, this weed grass also smothers your grass and other plants in your garden.

Dallisgrass grows twice as fast as any other grass and will grow in almost any soil, it is truly a tough and pestilent weed that can be infuriating to deal with.

How to kill dallisgrass?

What we would like to help you achieve with this article is to get rid of dallisgrass, stay rid of it and maintain a gorgeous and healthy lawn that is weed free!

So to answer this question, how to kill dallisgrass, here are the methods;

Manual removal

For manual removal you will need a spade or shovel, preferably a sharpshooter spade, you will then need to dig up the entire dallisgrass clump making sure to remove ALL the roots. Any roots left over will most certainly cause the dallisgrass to grow back very fast.

After you have done this make sure to sow thick layers of grass seeds or sod of your preferred grass type, in order to prevent dallisgrass seeds from coming up again, creating a thick lawn with no bald spots will make it harder for dallisgrass Seeds to germinate.

Keep your lawn well fertilized and cut it regularly to maintain a healthy and weed free lawn.

In the case of flower and other garden beds, using a thick layer of mulch after removing the weed should keep it from growing back again.

Using post-emergent herbicides: dallisgrass killer

Using a weed killer that is non-selective such as a glyphosate-only herbicide is a great dallisgrass killer, although it may take some time and may have to be done at weekly intervals.

What kills dallisgrass?

In order to do this you will need to purchase a herbicide or weed killer that only contains Glyphosate or that is specifically meant as a dallisgrass killer.

You will need a pump sprayer to mix the germicide in, make sure to use gloves and follow the instructions meticulously as you are working with a hazardous substance.

The mixture must then me sprayed on the spot where the dallisgrass is growing only, take caution for it not to come in contact with other crops and plants. You may have to do spot spraying a few consecutive times before the dallisgrass dies.

After killing or removing the dallisgrass we encourage you to take preventative measures to keep it at bay, and keeping your lawn healthy to prevent further occurrences;

Using pre-emergent herbicides

After removing and killing dallisgrass you are still not out of the woods yet, dallisgrass produces millions of tiny seeds that get blown or washed over your lawn.

The best way to prevent dallisgrass from germinating is to purchase a Pre-Emergent herbicide which can be either specified for dallisgrass or for crabgrass, both should work equally well.
Spray your lawn at prescribed regular intervals to keep dallisgrass from regrowing.

Maintaining a healthy lawn

By keeping your lawn thick and lush as well as well fertilized you will also make it extremely difficult for dallisgrass seeds to grow back again. Using the pre-emergent herbicide along with feeding and watering your lawn should ultimately do the trick.

Keep your lawn short and thick by cutting it regularly, increase ventilation and make sure to fill up any bald spots with seeds or sod, do not give a dallisgrass seed the chance to germinate.

As for gardens and beddings the same principles can be followed and mulch can be used regularly to prevent dallisgrass from growing.

Conclusion

By following the steps we have discussed how to kill dallisgrass and keep it from returning in the future.

Dallisgrass is a stubborn and reoccurring weed that is a nuisance to many, herbicides are good dallisgrass killers just as the manual shovel or spade.

Keeping your lawn or bedding healthy and lush will also aid in keeping dallisgrass from regrowing.

As a preventative measure a pre-emergent herbicide should do the trick.

We hope you enjoy a healthy and luxurious, weed-free lawn without any more hassles from dallisgrass invasions!