Wild Violet in Lawn
Wild Violet in Lawn How to Effectively Kill It
When you see wild violet in the lawn, you may stare at its beautiful flowers for a few seconds. But then some feelings may suddenly come at you because you realize you have a tough weed now on your lawn that needs to be eliminated. That’s why we are here to tell you the good news – there are effective means of controlling and killing wild violet in grass.
The wild violet weed grows in places where the soil is always moist. On parks, grounds, home lawns and turf areas, they can grow very fast once they begin to settle but then become hard to kill whenever they become established . Wild violet flowers have some of the most enticingly beautiful flowers in the family of weeds. But beautiful as they are, they can become a nuisance to homeowners and turf owners because of their aggressive traits of growing and reproducing fast.
The wild violet weed is unique because it grows with several Viola genus under its name. Meaning, a lot of its types grow in different countries but all belong to the genus Viola and are recognizable with their beautiful violet flowers which can be a combination of purple, blue, white, and violet. It prefers moist, loamy soil but can also thrive both in shaded, and fully sunny areas.
Wild Violets Ground Cover – How This Weed Spread Fast
Why we call this “wild” is because it can grow almost everywhere though its genus occupies a lot of areas in North America. It can spread fast but is hard to kill because like with the Creeping Charlie, it also produces ball roots or rhizomes that when you pull the weed by hand, some of the rhizomes can break apart leaving some in the soil which can produce new plants in a matter of days.
The elimination of wild violet in lawn is basically not easy because this weed has a unique life cycle. Once it grows into a mature plant from seed, it begins to form rhizomes under the ground from its roots. These rhizomes will then branch out and will grow new weeds. So as more rhizomes form within the space of the parent weed, the spreading continues until the invasion requires aggressive control measures. This is why, like Creeping Charlie, the wild violet is one of the heavyweight contenders that we have to fight in our lawns.
The early spring is the best time for this weed to grow new plants from the rhizomes and these rhizomes serve as their food storage factories. In April, flowers begin to emerge and in May these flowers develop into seeds. Once these seeds drop on the ground and feel the cold damp soil, they begin to germinate and sprout new seedlings. So the wild violet ground cover can become a nuisance because this weed has two ways of reproducing itself – by rhizomes and seeds.
So how to get rid of wild violet in our lawns is our main topic for this discussion as well as understanding what’s the best herbicide for wild violet that can kill it effectively? So read on and take notes of these.
How to Get Rid of Wild Violet Naturally
You will know that you are dealing with wild violet in lawn when you see those five-petaled heart-shaped violet flowers with some combination of white or blue colors in the middle of each flower. The flowers grow at the stem’s growing points and some of them have white hairs. The leaves of this weed are also a bit waxy and this characteristic makes this weed more difficult to eliminate with herbicides. rid of Creeping Charlie naturally.
Here are some of the traditional practices you can do to control wild violet proliferation on your lawn:
Pull them from the soil using tools.
By just hand-pulling, this won’t work because the rhizomes or the bulbous root can easily break and can produce new growths in just a few days. To effectively take the rhizomes along, use a trowel or a spade to take out every part of the weed, especially its whole root system.
Practice regular mowing and fertilization of the grass
The point for mowing the grass regularly is to let it produce more stolons and by fertilizing it right after, the grass can grow thicker and suppress the growth of the weeds. Stolons are the stems of the grass that elongate when they are cut.
Choose turf grasses over lawn grasses.
If your lawn is getting overwhelmed by weeds, especially the creeping types, better change your grass to a grass variety that grows thick and firm like the Bermuda grass. Or ask the seller from the landscaping supply store about the best grass that grows thick and firm and is adapted to your climate.
Use selective organic herbicides.
One of the most effective organic herbicides you can use to kill many types of weeds is horticultural vinegar. Yes, this vinegar is different from the kitchen vinegar we use for cooking but it contains concentrated acetic acid that can kill weeds and grass.
So we advise that if you want to try it, do it for spot treatment only using a hand sprayer and expect that the grass you spray with it may also die. But then grass can easily grow now stolons and rhizomes so it can cover sprayed areas in just a few days.
Once the wild violet wilts after 2 or 3 days, it can be easily pulled from the ground including its root bulbs or use a trowel to make sure. Use a ratio of 80% water and 20% horticultural vinegar to make it safer for the applicator. You can also add liquid detergent to act as surfactant or glue for the herbicide to stick onto the stems and leaves of the wild violet weed.
What is the Best Herbicide for Wild Violet?
One of the required qualities of the best herbicide for wild violet is it should be in the systemic class. Systemic herbicides work when it gets absorbed by the plants through their leaves and stems and also roots. Even the rhizomes can die with systemic herbicides. But since you’re trying to kill only the wild violet in the lawn and not the grass, you should choose the selective types that will kill only the broadleaf plants.
There are 2 things to remember when choosing a herbicide for wild violet in lawn:
It should be systemic and not just a contact herbicide.
It should be more effective as a postemergence herbicide.
How to get rid of wild violet more effectively is during its postemergence cycle when the seeds are beginning to sprout which is their most vulnerable stage. So if you’re wanting to know what herbicides are best, choose those that contain any of the following: 2,4-D, MCPP, Dicamba, triclopyr, fluroxypryr or flumioxazin. These chemical ingredients are made to be systemic and can kill many types of broadleaf weeds including the Henbit, Purple deadnettle, and Creeping charlie.
There are a lot of products that carry any of these chemicals and you can do your research and buy a product online but it should be from a legitimate seller or store. Or to be sure, visit your horticultural supply store in your area so you can personally inquire about what you need.
Also, if you want a specific product that is already proven to be an effective best herbicide for wild violet and other broadleaf weeds, check Roundup for Lawns product. However, you should be aware of how to use this product and know the best time when to apply it.
Precautions When Killing Wild Violet Weed with Herbicides
Because the wild violet in lawn can be hard to kill, repeat application with herbicides can be necessary. But beware, organic or chemical-made, all herbicides can kill broadleaf plants including your garden or vegetable plants.
Here are the precautionary measures on how to get rid of wild violet when applying herbicides either thru spray or pellet application and how to stay safe as well:
Always wear protective clothing before spraying.
Herbicides are not as lethal as pesticides or insecticides in terms of toxicity. But they still contain toxic elements so wearing protective clothing is still a must. Rubber gloves, rubber boots, long sleeve shirts and pants, and goggles are the basic wear when applying chemicals on grass.
Adjust your sprayer’s nozzle.
Slowly adjust the nozzle of your sprayer so you can achieve the right force of spray and avoid wasting the herbicide. Too loose of the nozzle can produce a strong spray which can waste the herbicide. Too tight can produce very fine mist which can be carried by the wind.
Be aware of the direction of the wind when spraying.
The wind can carry the fine mist of spray for about 5-10 feet depending on the gust of the wind. If it’s too windy, better wait for the weather to calm down.
Don’t spray if it’s about to rain.
Herbicides must stay in contact with the weed at least 24 hours to achieve its best effect.
Focus your sprayer’s nozzle.
If it’s not too windy or if it’s a calm day, focus the nozzle of your sprayer about 4-5 inches away from your target and slightly slant the nozzle and spray from the stem up to the leaves of the weed.
Spray also the surrounding spots where weeds grow.
Remember Creeping Charlie and its cousins the Henbit weed and Purple deadnettle? These weeds can drop their seeds along their paths which means they may already have new sprouts around them that are under the grass. The wild violet weed also does the same. So spraying around the spots where these weeds grow can also kill new growths.
Don’t use a power sprayer on a small lawn.
Some of you may own power sprayers if you have large lawns to manage. But better use a garden sprayer if you’ll be dealing with only a small spot of weeds or even if the weeds are growing randomly on your lawn. Herbicides are still toxic and can remain on the grass and soil for days.
For pellet application, distribute it evenly on spots where the weed grows.
Pellet herbicides take longer to take effect but are also effective because it begins to attack the weed from the roots as it gets absorbed by the weed. Pellets are safer to use for the person applying it compared to spraying but it may take days before you see the result. Distribute also the pellet around the spots where the weed grows to kill new sprouts.
As an added precaution, always monitor your lawn for weed growth after spraying. It may take 2 to 3 days to see the effect of herbicides on the weed. But you will see them slowly dying, don’t get too comfy because a missed spot can spread like wildfire in a few weeks.
Don’t let your grass grow too long because wild violet in grass starts by invading your grass from the ground and they can get covered by the long grass. You will only notice the weeds when they have already taken the grass spot and are growing taller.
Conclusion:
So whenever you see wild violet on the lawn, don’t get too upset. These weeds are rather pesky but any weed can be easily dealt with using the right methods. However, even if you’re using the best herbicide for wild violet, always consider the safety measures when applying it. If you have kids or pets that usually play on the lawn, keep them inside until the chemical’s effect subsides. Read also the label of the herbicide for proper dosage and handling.
If your lawn is being invaded by different kinds of weeds, choose herbicides that are suited for general weed control. Timing is also an essential part of killing wild violet weed and the best time is when these weeds are in their post-emergence stage or before they produce flowers.