How to Kill Carpet Grass
Carpet grass, technically known as Axonopus affinis, is easy to get started and looks relatively good in most lawns. However, this form of grass is very invasive and many people do not like the way it looks or behaves once it is established in a lawn. If you want to get rid of this pesky grass, you have several rather safe and simple methods of doing so.
Carpet grass does not tolerate salt well. Dissolve 1 cup of water softener salt in 50 gallons of warm water. Stir well and be patient as the salt dissolves.
Put the salt water solution in a yard sprayer and spray your carpet grass with the salt solution. Allow the solution to remain on your grass for 24 hours before watering. After 24 hours, water normally. While the salt water should not affect most other hardy grasses surrounding your carpet grass, it is a good idea not to spray delicate flowers with the salt spray.
- Carpet grass, technically known as Axonopus affinis, is easy to get started and looks relatively good in most lawns.
- While the salt water should not affect most other hardy grasses surrounding your carpet grass, it is a good idea not to spray delicate flowers with the salt spray.
Rake out the dead carpet grass with a hard steel rake five days after spraying with the salt water solution.
Spread two pounds of agricultural lime per every 1,000 square feet of yard if the salt water method does not rid your lawn of its carpet grass. Carpet grass does not grow at a pH of greater than 7.5, so a good dose of lime is usually all that is needed to kill your carpet grass. The lime will not harm most other grasses. Water in the lime immediately after spreading.
Use a hard steel rake to remove the dead carpet grass five days after spreading the lime.
Tip
Salt and lime will not harm St. Augustine grass and most other warm weather grasses but sill kill carpet grass.
Warning
Wear gloves and a breathing mask when spreading lime.
Related Articles
Tips
- Salt and lime will not harm St. Augustine grass and most other warm weather grasses but sill kill carpet grass.
Warnings
- Wear gloves and a breathing mask when spreading lime.
Writer Bio
Larry Parr has been a full-time professional freelance writer for more than 30 years. For 25 years he wrote cartoons for television, everything from "Smurfs" to "Spider-Man." Today Parr train dogs and write articles on a variety of topics for websites worldwide.
