Three Things You Need To Know About Common Cinquefoil
Maintaining a flawless lawn is difficult thanks to the many types of weeds that may take up residence amongst your grass. You may discover unwanted weeds such as common cinquefoil marring the otherwise perfect appearance of your lawn. Here are three things you need to know about common cinquefoil.
How can you identify common cinquefoil?
Common cinquefoil is a small, green weed. It is generally less than one foot tall, though its stolons — stems that spread across the ground around the plant — can extend three feet away from the main weed.
The leaves of this weed are coarsely serrated around the edges. The leaves are smooth on top and hairy on the bottom. A long stem grows out of the center of the plant, and at the end, you will see a single yellow flower with five petals. This flower is small at only half an inch in diameter.
How does common cinquefoil spread?
While other types of weed spread by distributing seeds, common cinquefoil spreads by means of its stolons. These stolons spread across the ground, and when the tips of the stolons sink into the soil, they form new plants. In this way, a single common cinquefoil plant can form a loose colony around itself using its stolons. Each new plant in turn will use its own stolons to create more common cinquefoil plants.
How can homeowners control common cinquefoil?
To control common cinquefoil, you need to remove the plants before they're able to use their stolons to create new plants. You can do this by simply hand-pulling the weeds. The easiest time to hand-pull weeds is when the ground is wet, so plan to pull your common cinquefoils shortly after a rainstorm. Grip each weed at its base and pull upwards to remove it and its roots from the soil. Dispose of the weeds carefully to avoid reintroducing them to your lawn.
If you're not able to hand-pull weeds, or if you've already tried this method without success, you can use post-emergent herbicides to destroy the weeds. Make sure to choose an herbicide that lists common cinquefoil on its label; it's also very important that the herbicide is safe to use on grass. When you're applying the herbicide, follow the directions on the label to ensure that you only damage the weeds, not your grass or your health.
If common cinquefoil is ruining the look of your lawn, treat the weeds with appropriate herbicides. For more information, contact a landscaping service in your area.
