Do you have a grass-like weed growing in your lawn that is giving off an oniony-aroma?
If so, you might have wild onion grass weed.
This is a pretty common weed that most people are familiar with. But what’s particularly frustrating about onion grass is that it is highly invasive and can quickly spread on your lawn. It often grows in clumps that can “stick out” like a sore thumb within your lawn.
The good news is that if you think you might have wild onion grass, there are solutions!
In fact, unlike some tough-to-control weeds that might pop up in your lawn, wild onion grass is fairly easy to control.
We know that lawn weeds are the enemy to your healthy and thriving lawn, so we want to help get you the right information that will help set you up for success.
What is Wild Onion Grass?
Wild onion grass weed is a common perennial lawn weed that grows from an underground bulb. Many people say that it resembles “chives,” which they might be growing in their kitchen.
That’s not surprising as onion grass does belong to the same family of plants as chives (as well as leeks, scallions, and garlic!). Onion grass comes from the group of plants that grow from bulbs, also known as “Amaryllidaceae.”
Because it is a perennial, onion grass can live for several years instead of dying off each season. Wild onion grass can even survive the winter by storing food in its bulb underground.
Wild onion grass is notorious for its strong onion odor. If you get an overpowering onion aroma when mowing the lawn, it’s a telltale sign you have wild onion grass weed growing.
How to Get Rid of Wild Onion Grass
Since wild onion grass weed can be an unsightly weed, you likely want to know how to get rid of it.
A lawn care professional can kill wild onion grass with broadleaf weed control applications. If you have an aggressive case of wild onion grass, it could take repeated applications to get this weed under control. However, as far as weeds go, there are much more invasive contenders out there.
While we know that homeowners are sometimes eager to deal with a patch of wild onion grass weed on their own, we do not advise hand-pulling it.
That’s because the bulbets are designed to pull away from the main bulb when pulled. Even after you pull wild onion grass, you can almost be sure that there are still small bulbs remaining in the soil that are going to quickly grow back. For that reason, you are only delaying the problem.
Instead, an application of an effective commercial-grade weed control product is your best course of action because it will be absorbed by the weed.
An Effective and Multifaceted Weed Control Program (Plus Full-Service Lawn Care)
At the end of the day, taking care of any weeds comes down to employing an effective weed control program. When you spend time outside, you shouldn’t have to worry about ugly weeds causing you stress.
With the right weed control applications, those problems can be addressed for you.
The key is to find a company that will take a multifaceted approach to weed control. Using the same products to address everything on the lawn is simply not going to work. But you’d be surprised that even some “pros” will do this. They simply don’t have an arsenal with a wide array of products.
While wild onion grass weed is a relatively easy-to-control weed, there are many that are not. You want to make sure that your lawn care company has you fully covered no matter what you’re dealing with.
Of course, your approach to tackling weeds should not only include product but also lawn care services. That’s because a thick and healthy lawn can begin to naturally choke out invasive weeds, like wild onion grass.
Many weeds perform best in conditions where healthy turf struggles to grow. If you get your lawn in great shape, it’s going to be difficult for weeds to thrive. This boils down to having a lawn that you can truly love without all the weedy worries.
If you’d like to know more about how Joshua Tree can help meet your lawn needs at your home in Pennsylvania, or you have more questions, we’re here to help! Get in touch with us to get some free expert advice and learn more about our lawn care program options.
