Sorry to say, but you’re going to have to grow accustomed to hearing about Dallisgrass. What was once a minor issue has now exploded into a major problem throughout NJ. Hailing from South America, Dallisgrass has become a challenge for both homeowners and lawn care providers. It was brought to the United States in the 1800s and has since invaded from the south states into the transition zones like ours. Its name is in “honor” of A.T. Dallis, who advocated importing the plant for cow pastures before it became such a nuisance.
Dallisgrass is a perennial grassy weed that’s notoriously difficult to control and is often confused for crabgrass (an annual weed). The most notable difference is Dallisgrass stands up, whereas crabgrass spreads out sideways. Its short, thick, rhizomatous roots help it spread quickly in lawns. And its rapid growth sends it towering over desirable turf, making it a real eyesore on any property. Its seeds can spread via maintenance equipment, animals, storms, topsoil, or sod. Being a perennial plant means any Dallisgrass currently in your lawn will return next season and more than likely spread.
Control of dallis is complicated to say the least. As always, physically pulling the weeds is an option, but not always an effective or realistic one as it’s tough to ensure that you got all of its roots. Because the weed is perennial, pre-emergent herbicides aren’t a helpful control either. That leaves post-emergent herbicides as the best solution to this challenging problem. The top choice of herbicides is Glyphosate (Round Up) which we and many other companies will not use. For homeowners, this is best done late summer/early fall so that you can seed soon after to replenish any areas that are targeted. For lawn care companies, we once had a chemical called MSMA that was effective, but it was banned over 5 years ago and has contributed to Dallisgrass being able to spread to its current status.
BUT OUR HANDS ARE TIED NO MORE! We finally have a viable product, which we tested on several select lawns and it yielded impressive results. It takes about 2 to 3 treatments to effectively kill active Dallisgrass. Fully eliminating it from a lawn may take a few seasons as its seeds can lay dormant for years. You may want us to run out right away and treat your lawn, but it’s a little too late for that this year. At this point in the season, Glyphosate is still the best means of controlling the weed with one treatment. You’re also able to seed within a couple of days of the application to fix any damaged areas, which isn’t an option with the product we’re using.
You may be asking yourself: “How do I know if I have Dallisgrass?”
Don’t worry, we have been logging customers with this issue, and we will be in touch with a plan for the 2026 season.