• MSU Soil Testing Update

  Published on May 15, 2023
  Join Michigan State University Extension educators to learn what’s new in the soil testing process from Michigan State University (MSU).

• Dandelion

  Common dandelion is a simple perennial (no branching) with a basal rosette that has deeply lobed leaves that generally point back towards the center of the rosette. Probably the most common weed in maintained turf.

• Orchardgrass

  Orchardgrass is a competitive perennial grassy weed of cool-season turf. It has a very well developed fibrous root system and can be difficult to remove once established.

• Leaf Spot

  Leaf spot is a warm-weather disease, but the pathogen overwinters as dormant mycelium in infected plants and dead grass debris.

• Canada Thistle

  Canada thistle is a creeping perennial that always colonizes in patches. Plants can reach 1-3 feet high. Canada thistle has an extremely well developed creeping root system that can grow several feet deep.

• Prostrate Pigweed

  Prostrate pigweed is a native mat-forming summer annual weed that invades thin, damaged or under-fertilized lawns. It is common in areas with disturbed soils or neglected areas. Prostrate pigweed lacks the hairs common to redroot pigweed and has smooth leaves.

• Gray Snow Mold

  This disease is important in northern regions of the United States, where snow cover remains on the ground for extended periods, usually 3 months or more.

• Powdery Mildew

  Turf affected by the disease have a grayish white cast, with initial symptoms appearing as white patches on the leaf blade.

• Ground Ivy

  Ground ivy, also known as creeping Charlie, is an aggressive perennial that is ideally suited to many landscape situations. It prefers moist, well-fertilized, shades sites maintained at a low mowing height.

• Yellow Rocket

  Yellow rocket is a rosette-forming winter annual that is usually associated with bare, disturbed soil or new establishments (prefers nutrient-rich, medium-textured soils).

• Summer Patch

  Summer patch first appears in the warm weather of summer as yellow to bronze-colored, irregular-shaped patches ranging from 6 in. to 3 ft (15.3 cm to 1 m) in diameter.

• Mouseear Chickweed

  Mouseear chickweed is a low-growing perennial that can tolerate extremely low mowing heights (even at greens height). It can tolerate a wide variety of soil and growing conditions. The leaves of mouseear chickweed are typically very thick, dark green and covered with hairs.

• Purple Deadnettle

  Purple deadnettle is a common weed invader of vacant agricultural fields, landscape borders, derelict lawns, and compost piles.

• Common Purslane

  Common purslane is a mat-forming summer annual that thrives in all soil types. Common purslane has multi-branched red stems with thick fleshy leaves that cluster at the end of the branches.

• Yarrow, Common

  Common yarrow is considered a desirable herbaceous perennial by many gardeners and is sold in its cultivated form at most greenhouses.

• Green Foxtail

  Green foxtail is a clumping annual grass that commonly invades Michigan turfs. Young plants can be difficult to distinguish from other grasses like crabgrass. Green foxtail produces a characteristic 'foxtail'-like seedhead.

• Annual Bluegrass

  Annual bluegrass is unique among weeds. There is probably no other weed that is so widely adapted to variations in mowing height, site conditions and cultural practices.

• Common Lambsquarters

  Like many other summer annual broadleaf weeds, common lambsquarters is generally considered an 'establishment weed.' Common lambsquarters needs cultivation (bare, loose soil) to establish.

• Bacterial Wilt

  Bacterial wilt is characterized by tiny red-copper-colored spots first appearing about the size of a dime. As more plants die, spots become larger. Small, yellow leaf spots, streaked tan to dark brown spots, dark green, water soaked lesions, shriveled blue to dark green leaves, and yellow elongated leaves are all symptoms that have been associated with bacterial wilt.

• Field Horsetail

  Field horsetail is most often a weed of landscape beds and low-lying areas. Horsetail can survive in turf, but often will not persist with routine mowing.