I've got a backyard that isn't the best. I have a dog that likes to dig, so with the occasional hole and the urine spots, I'm not winning a BH&G competition any time soon. My latest war is the war against a huge infestation of Dallisgrass.

I've heard 1) MSMA with 2 applications in 90 degree heat 10-14 days apart. And 2) Roundup and replace with sod.

Just wanted other opinions. Here's an idea with a crappy cell phone picture, thanks!:

EDIT: This is taken from a 2nd floor window. Also, the white spots are pieces of rawhide bones, not mushrooms.



[This message has been edited by helgs (edited 7/5/2010 6:13p).]

I pulled a boat load of mine, and also treated some areas with MSMA. I mowed low (bermuda) and eventually the grass began to take over.

Thanks for the tip.

I should also add that I'm in DFW and grass is bermuda.

I concure with Erac. Mow low. MSMA is going off the market so get it soon.

www.crabgrassalert.com/weeds.html
This has been reported to kill dallis grass, but is not currently labeled for it. It is a bit expensive but it is organic.

So what would you do in a St. Augustine yard for that weed? My front is good looking SA, but the original owners never did anything with the back. The bermuda that was there is being choked out by dallisgrass and the St. Augustine plugs are still a long ways away from having run enough to be competetive.

I got Image (on recommendation of my father-in-law). I'm pretty sure they make Image for St. Augustine grass. It's not MSMA, but it's Image brand, which is one of the best, apparently.

"Image for St Augustine and Centipede" is simply atrazine. It won't kill dallis grass. You'll have to dig it up or carefully roundup it in a st augustine lawn.

quote:

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twiggy
posted 9:06a, 07/06/10

I concure with Erac. Mow low. MSMA is going off the market so get it soon.

www.crabgrassalert.com/weeds.html
This has been reported to kill dallis grass, but is not currently labeled for it. It is a bit expensive but it is organic.

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Tried this. It works on common bermuda. In my yard it killed the crab grass and the bermuda grass, so I must not have common bermuda. So, be careful. It did not work on the few Johnson grass spots I had. You have to get it on there right or it does nothing.....will not use it again.

Great info RoughRider. It is harder to apply than you standard herbicide and expensive, but as noted it does work on crabgrass. It is not labeled for Johnson grass or Dallis grass, but the their website mentions Dallis ("Dallas" grass on the faq so it is worth a mention, as they are likely getting ready to label it.

Bottom line is grasses are hard to kill selectively. Roundup if you are willing to live with some dead circles for a while, otherwise dig - you will still have dead circles where the dallis grass crowded out the lawn but they won't be as noticeable.