Hi,

We have just realised that we have potentially dug a big hole for ourselves due to lack of gardening knowledge. We're from the UK so were totally unaware of some of the things that should be done in Texas in terms of seasonal weed control. What started out as what looked like a little bit of clover growth in the dead lawn got to the point where we started to do some research. It appears that we have a big problem with Henbit in the lawn. Now we really don't know how best to approach this problem as we can't really afford to bring in a professional and to remove it all by hand would take us a month of Sundays.

It seems that there are some suitable chemical solutions (Trimec perhaps?)but I'm concerned because we've found a number of things saying that these shouldn't be used until a lawn has started re growing.

We also considered just getting a power strimmer to it to cut it back and just waiting for it to die out and then hitting it properly in the fall to kill it off for next year. Our worry there is that because it's a dense infestation the lawn will struggle and may not be able to regrow properly.

So, what's the best way to handle this problem (if there is a way) on a lawn that has not started to regrow?

Thanks in advance

Welcome, UKClueless! What part of Texas are you fighting and living with these weeds? I have henbit and it disappears as soon as the weather turns warm. Uh oh, you haven't been here when it's warm yet, have you?

Here's a good source for controlling Henbit. Hope this helps. Looks like fall is a better time for getting rid of it. I'm sure more members will chime in with help. Please check back. The weather is so beautiful today, I'm sure most are outside dreaming of spring. Be sure and let us know what area you live in.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu...

Thanks for these. We were really looking at two main things

1) If I just cut it back so it's not a total eyesore and just wait for it to die, is this likely to cause a problem with the lawn re-emerging
2) Can I spray weed treatment on a lawn before it's started growing.

I would just mow it short and it will soon die back. However, you can safely use a broad leaf herbicide on the dormant lawn too. The warnings are probably to avoid the use of weed killers on freshly planted lawns not established lawns that have not yet greened up. Good luck - and welcome to Texas.

Your Henbit. My chickweed. I am near Houston Zone 9a and it looks the worse this time of year only because my lawn has not come in yet. We've had a couple of gorgeous days and took advantage of near scalping my lawn. The mower had one more lower setting and the only reason why I didn't go lower is because the lawn is drenched from the rain. As it was I was making divots in the soil. But I cut off the heads of my Chickweed and everything else unwanted hoping to keep it from reseeding. More rain is expected this week. Will apply a light 15-15-15 to get the lawn going. And then in 3-4 weeks will green it up with something stronger. Once I get St. Augustine growing, it tends to choke out everything as long as I keep it healthy. Crabgrass seems to be the only thing that will suck up the lawn as it grows. In a nutshell, get your lawn healthy, have less weeds.

@UKClueless, welcome to ATP. You will be able to obtain a lot of good advice on this forum for Texas gardening and lawn care. You will need to let us know what part of Texas you are in because our zones and challenges can vary.

@ShadyGreenThumb on your chickweed. You might want to ask Dave and Trish if you can harvest it for them. They love to add it to their salads

This afternoon was absolutely gorgeous here. I think I got Spring Fever!!

I remembered that every time I pull up some. Oh, Lord, I don't think anyone could eat THIS much Chickweed!!

Some people eat Henbit too.

We love chickweed. Can't get enough of it!

I agree with Porkpal. Just mow it and you'll be fine. Unless you're in a subdivision where you're required to have a pristine monoculture lawn, it will look perfectly acceptable.

This Henbit plant comes out each Jan/Feb on our mailbox, and dies back when the hot weather kicks in.