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Please help me identify what is this black grass taking over my lawn.
Also please advise how to get it under control
Hello @nishtha
It appears that your lawn needs a bit of TLC as there are empty patches around and it looks like you have Crowsfoot weed growing in your lawn. I suggest manual removal first and aerating the soil to loosen it up. I suggest using Yates 4L Weed 'n' Feed Hose On Lawn Weed Killer, but if you have buffalo lawn, I suggest using Yates 2.4L BuffaloPro Weed 'N' Feed Hose On Weed Killer. I suggest having a look at this discussion - How to stop weed taking over lawn? by @13542kcasey. I also recommend having a look at this discussion - How to remove weeds from lawn? by @anshul_bhatia.
Here is a link to our best advice: How do you control weeds in your garden?
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
Eric
Hi @nishtha,
The images aren't quite clear enough to positively identify the weed, but from what I can see, it does look different from crowsfoot. Regardless of the exact type, it’s very likely that any herbicide strong enough to remove it will also damage or kill the surrounding lawn.
That said, it doesn't look like there's a lot of healthy lawn established at the moment, so it might actually be worth considering a full reset — spraying out the whole area, preparing the soil by aerating and adding some topsoil, and then either laying new turf or seeding. It can be a bit of effort upfront, but it often leads to much better long-term results.
Here's a help guide: How to lay turf.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
If you could try up loading some slightly higher quality images, that might give us a better idea @nishtha. I really can't make any defining features. The seed pods look very similar to Paspalum.
I'd recommend using David Grays 500ml Crab Grass and Clover Killer Selective Herbicide, as it will control Paspalum and a variety of other common lawn weeds. Since these weeds are amongst a lawn, then spot spraying is recommended as some lawn damage is expected.
Mitchell
There are several types of weedy grasses that turn purple/black when they age @nishtha.
Those include:
Crabgrass (Digitaria spp.) – the seed heads can sometimes turn dark purple to black as they mature.
Lovegrass (Eragrostis spp.) – produces fine, wiry seed heads that can look dark or blackish, especially when dried out.
Crowsfoot Grass (Dactyloctenium radulans) – the seed heads (which look like a crow’s foot) can darken to black.
Windmill Grass (Chloris truncata) – has seed heads that spread out like a windmill and often turn dark purple or black.
Sedges (Cyperus spp.) – some produce dark brown to black seed heads that can look weed-like.
Barnyard Grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) – has seed heads that can darken toward black as they mature.
If you can take an image of the seed pod section laid out flat on the ground, that might help identify it.
Mitchell
