Japanese Stiltgrass Vs Crabgrass

Eradicating this weed has been the topic of several conversations with clients at the cooperative extension office in recent weeks so we thought an article on removing this plant from your property.

Japanese stiltgrass vs crabgrass. Biology japanese stiltgrass is a summer annual similar to crabgrass but usually germinates two or more weeks earlier than crabgrass. Microstegium vimineum commonly known as japanese stiltgrass packing grass or nepalese browntop is an annual grass that is common in a wide variety of habitats and is well adapted to low light levels. For crabgrass control practice procedures outlined to maintain a dense actively growing turf. When you start seeing seed heads but before they drop their seeds mow the tops off or hand pull.

Crabgrass will grow under close mowing conditions. Japanese stiltgrass is similar to crabgrass in that it completes its lifecycle from spring to fall producing many thousands of seeds for the following year. Look for the active ingredient fenoxaprop. If japanese stiltgrass is present in your lawn a postemergent herbicide labeled to control annual grass weeds like crabgrass can be used to spot treat young weeds.

Additional resources pdf hg88 invasive plant control in maryland. Microstegium vimineum commonly called stiltgrass japanese stiltgrass nepalese browntop or bamboo grass has become an extremely invasive summer annual grass in transylvania county. However it can be even more stubborn since it is shade tolerant. The weed grows similarly to other grassy weeds but has broader shorter leaves and tends to spread when mowed.

It is highly competitive in the shade and can also invade lightly shaded to full sun areas. It requires as little as 5 available light. Seedheads are produced in late summer and j. Unlike crabgrass japanese stiltgrass flowers and sets seeds much later from mid september through october.

Though various sources say nimblewill looks like japanese stiltgrass creeping bentgrass and bermuda grass it doesn t look like any of those species to me. Competition from this nuisance grass is greater by thin open turfgrass stands improper mowing heights for the desired turf summer fertilization and light frequent irrigation. The best way to use this method is to allow the grass to grow naturally until late august or september when it starts developing seed heads. Herbicides do not work well on mature plants.

Stiltgrass will turn a reddish color and die following fall frosts. Despite being non native in the united states it serves as a host plant for some native satyr butterflies such as the carolina satyr hermeuptychia sosybius and the endangered mitchell s. Japanese stiltgrass has invaded and is a tremendous problem weed in shady lawn areas.