Can anyone help me with this jungle that is taking over my l

[Evka]

My husband and I are perplexed at our small patch of lawn. When we first moved here it was fine, and was just grass but now it has turned into this! Please see links for pictures. We have tried a weed killer but it doesn't seem to work too well.

Please could anyone suggest anything we can do? Any insight on what type of weed it is?

P.S. We are in Tucson, Arizona.

Thank you!

http://img20.imageshack.us/my.php?image=weeds003ft0.jpg
http://img409.imageshack.us/my.php?i...eeds004fj1.jpg
http://img146.imageshack.us/my.php?i...eeds005ut9.jpg

[Newt]

Hi Evka,

I don't know what your weed is, but I suspect it was in the lawn that was there and it spreads by runners or it's roots since I don't see it in the bed above.* Since it's blooming now I would suggest you get rid of it or cut it back immediately so it doesn't go to seed and spread to your other beds. It's best to pull weeds after a rain or a good watering when the soil is moist.* Try digging down to see what type of root system it has.

Newt

[Evka]

Thank you for your reply. Interesting that you mention runners, because we have also pulled up some strange vine type thing that seems to have suffocated the grass, and at one point spread along the walls.

I am going to try and root up a patch of these weeds today (after hosing them down!), and see if they grow back. Would a picture of the roots help you at all in identifying it?

[Evka]

Well, I have taken a section of this out...here is a pic of the roots of the flowery weeds I originally posted (these were very easy to pull out) :

http://img146.imageshack.us/my.php?i...eeds006sw7.jpg
http://img213.imageshack.us/my.php?i...eeds007td6.jpg
http://img442.imageshack.us/my.php?i...eeds009jx9.jpg

And this is a picture of the runners/vine type things that are VERY hard to pull out and seem to be very deep rooted into the ground:

http://img468.imageshack.us/my.php?i...eeds008ak8.jpg


Thank you again!

[Newt]

I have been looking at weed pictures for 2 hours and my eyes are tired!* :shock:* I still don't know what the flowering weed with the broad leaves is.* :(* Your grassy weed might be:

bermudagrass
http://content.garden.org/toro/weedl...q=show&id=2371

torpedo grass
http://www.forestpests.org/subject.html?SUB=3060

quackgrass also came to mind but I don't think that it.
http://content.garden.org/toro/weedl...q=show&id=2375
http://cropsoil.psu.edu/extension/li...quackgrass.jpg
http://njaes.rutgers.edu/weeds/full.asp?quackgrass

You might want to try the clove oil spray as mentioned in the first site for organic sprays.*

Newt

[Quirky Quercus]

The runner that you said was difficult to pull out looks like bermuda. It may also be the type of grass that is most commonly used in your area. Do you know what type of grass you have?

[Evka]

Hi Quirky. I was looking at different weeds online and found bermuda grass and also thought that it looked the same as what we have.

I have no idea what type of lawn grass we have :?, but when we moved here it just looked like normal grass to me. We are now thinking of digging up everything in that small area, getting all the roots, spraying it with weedkiller and then instead of grass we are thinking of putting mulch/newspaper (heard this is good to suffocate any left over weeds) and then cover that with those dark wood chips.

[Quirky Quercus]

If what you're saying is you want to get rid of the lawn and replace it with* mulch then just use a weed & GRASS killer and get it all done while you have a chance.* You could put landscape fabric over it too just to be safe.