Managing the Difficult to Control Warm-Season Weeds: Kyllinga, Doveweed, and Dollarweed

It is time to think about weeds that you might find difficult to control in warm-season turf.

Kyllinga

Kyllinga is a sedge and perennial plant that is often confused with nutsedge. The difference between the two: kyllinga does not have underground tubers and forms dense patches of growth or mats (nutsedge grows upright). Kyllinga produces seeds and rhizomes (underground stems), both of which it can use to spread quickly.

Kyllinga favors close mowing conditions and wet soils with full sun, but it can survive in the shade. Avoid overwatering and check for drainage issues if kyllinga is present.

FMC’s Echelon 4SC and Bayer’s Spectacle Flo work well for a kyllinga pre-emergent. Nufarm’s Celero is excellent for a post-emergent control. FMC’s Dismiss NXT and Bayer’s Tribute Total also work well.

Doveweed

Doveweed is a summer annual weed that germinates late in the growing season and has an appearance similar to a grass, like St. Augustinegrass. It favors wet soils. Over-watering or drainage problems will allow doveweed to thrive. When mowed over, doveweed’s creeping stolons (stems) break and can spread to other turf areas.

ArmorTech’s Kade 4L, Bayer’s Spectacle Flo, and FMC’s Echelon 4SC provide good pre-emergent control. When it comes to post-emergent control, doveweed may require repeat applications due to its difficulty of management. Bayer’s Celsius WG or Bayer’s Tribute Total with a non-ionic surfactant, such as Precision Labatories Chem-Stik, are recommended curative control for doveweed.

Dollarweed

Dollarweed is a summer perennial weed whose lily pad-shaped leaves typically grow to a silver dollar size. It thrives in wet, moist soils. Monitoring and reducing moisture is key to managing dollarweed, so be sure to check your irrigation for an excess amount of water where dollarweed is present and look for drainage issues.

For good pre-emergent control, you can apply ArmorTech’s Kade 4L, Bayer’s Spectacle Flo, and FMC’s Echelon 4SC. FMC’s Echelon 4SC works especially well against dollarweed. When looking for curative control for dollarweed, Bayer’s Celsius, PBI-Gordon SpeedZone, or PBI-Gordon Q4 Plus are recommended.