I recently bought my first home and noticed that the back yard was infested in certain areas by a viney weed. After doing some research I figured out that it is Virginia Buttonweed.

http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/diqvi.htm



Anybody have some helpful suggestions on how to treat this type of weed? I plan to go out and try to pull as much of it as I can by hand, but in case it shows up again I'd like to know what treatments are suggested.

What species of grass do you have?

-Weed Scientist

St. Augustine

St. Augustine is really going to limit your choices. I'd recommend a cultural approach to control. Pulling as much as you can and avoid letting it go to seed. Continue to do so as it regrows through the fall. In the spring, give the grass some TLC and consider mowing higher in that area to choak out the weed.

Atrazine will help prevent new seedling from growing but will not kill the existing plants. It is safe for St. Augustine and will help control other broadleaf weeds.

2,4-D can be effective (70-80% control) on virginia buttonweed but can cause injury to St. Augustine especially when growth is not very active.

There are other chemicals that are safe for St. Augustine (and effective on Virginia buttonweed) but are usually mixed with others that are not safe when sold for residential usage.

Thanks for the advice, Ag!

He's exactly right. Nothing beats this nuisance better than getting your hands dirty just pulling it. Be sure you get all the way back to the roots and pull up the whole plant. They spread out like a spiderweb, and are pretty stubborn in St. Augustine. Just start by tracing it back to the roots and start pulling gently. It's actually sort of therapeutic to just sit there and work for an hour or two.

I had some in my bermuda. Just got down and pulled it. It left a nice spot in my yard, but the bermuda will take over in a few weeks.

That stuff is nuts. I've been pulling that crap up for 2 years now. Its like the queen mother from Aliens just hatching out more and more. Good luck.

Virginia Buttonweed and Purple Nutsedge are two of the biggest pains in my rear end