Managing POA Annua: A Two Step Approach

A lush, healthy lawn is a source of pride for most homeowners. Unfortunately, weeds have the potential to choke out your turf grass and leave your lawn looking less than its best.

While some weeds are easy to identify, others can be much more difficult to spot. One type of weed that can be good at camouflaging itself is Poa annua. Poa annua is often referred to by a variety of names. Some common names for Poa annua include annual bluegrass, annual meadow bluegrass, and poa.

No matter what this weed is referred to as in your region, learning to manage it is essential to the health of your lawn. Lawn care professionals suggest a two-step approach when it comes to preventing Poa annua from interfering with the health and vitality of your turf grass.

It can be challenging to identify Poa annua plants that are invading your lawn- especially if you have planted a cool-season grass variety. Look for variations in color within your lawn. Poa annua will typically have a lighter green color than your turf grass. This gives your lawn a patchy look. Poa annua will also grow taller than the surrounding turf grass, and features a tasseled seed head.

Once you know that you have actively growing Poa annua in your lawn, reach out to a lawn care professional for help. Only lawn care professionals have access to selective pre- and post-emergent herbicides that will effectively kill off Poa annua, but leave your desirable turf grass unscathed.

Step 1: Apply a Pre-Emergent Treatment
Poa annua is considered a cool-weather weed. This means that the seeds of this weed germinate in the late summer and early fall. A pre-emergent treatment can be effective in preventing this germination from taking place.

Poa annua seeds are extremely durable. This weed is technically categorized as an annual, but seeds can remain dormant within the soil of your lawn for a number of years. As soon as the seeds sense that the conditions are favorable for optimal growth, they come out of their dormancy and begin to germinate. A pre-emergent treatment helps to interrupt this process.

Quality pre-emergent products that are applied by a lawn care professional can inhibit the growth of a germinated seedling. The trick to seeing results with a pre-emergent herbicide treatment when managing Poa annua growth is to time your applications correctly.

Knowing that Poa annua seeds begin to germinate when temperatures start to cool, it makes sense that a pre-emergent herbicide treatment should be applied in the late summer and early fall months.

If you have had a problem with Poa annua in the past, there could be many seeds at various stages of germination lying within your lawn’s soil. Experts suggest using a series of applications to ensure that all potential seedlings are treated.

Step Two: Apply a Post-Emergent Treatment
Since the seeds of the Poa annua plant are so hardy and resilient, you may find that even a properly applied series of pre-emergent treatments are not enough to prevent the growth of this weed in your lawn.

Post-emergent treatments are designed to target actively growing weeds. Any seedlings that are able to avoid being affected by a pre-emergent treatment must be treated using a post-emergent product.

Poa annua can detract from the overall health and beauty of your turf grass. Combining pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicide treatments will help you rid your lawn of Poa annua for good.

As with any lawn treatment protocol, you need to keep the rate of application, residual potential, and contamination risks in mind when treating Poa annua.
Contact Dirt & Turf today for help managing your weed issues with ease.