How To Get Rid Of Wild Violet
This page is an expert guide on getting rid of Wild Violet from your property using the products and methods suggested by our experienced lawn care specialists. Follow this guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee you will be successful in eliminating Wild Violet.
Violets may be a pretty plant that poetry is written about and are often picked and put in the hair of little girls, but they are actually an aggressive weed that can mess up all the hard work you put into your lawn. Wild Violet can withstand drought and can be frustratingly difficult to remove.
Wild Violet likes to grow in shadier areas where grass doesn’t grow as well and features a growth pattern that results in leaves forming thick mats that can overtake your yard if you don’t intervene. If you try to mow or hand-pull them, because they are often underground, they will pop right back up before you know it.
Wild violets can be controlled, though it takes some persistence and regular treatment. If you are having an issue with Wild Violet on your property, follow our DIY treatment guide below which offers expert-recommended herbicide products to use and pro techniques that can eliminate the problem quickly and affordably.
What Is Horticultural Vinegar
Horticultural vinegar contains a higher amount of acetic acid than the vinegar typically sold in grocery stores. It generally has a 20-percent acetic acid rate, which is high enough to kill plants. Some brands of horticultural vinegar contain a soapy carbohydrate, which acts as a surfactant reducing surface tension and allowing the homemade weed killer using it to stick better to the wild violets. However, each brand of horticultural vinegar varies and you should always follow the instructions listed on its label to prevent damage to desirable plants and increase its effectiveness.
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What To Use To Kill Ground Ivy And Violet
My go-to weed control here is the active ingredient Triclopyr. 2-3 applications this fall will go a long way towards you regaining ground.
This High Yield product works great and is affordable. The mix rates are:1.5 Tablespoons of concentrate 2 Teaspoons of non-ionic surfactantThese are mixed into 1 gallon of water.This makes an emulsion that you can spray across 1,000 sq ft of area if you are blanket spraying, or use it for spot sprays and spray until the leaves of the weeds appear wet but not dripping.It may take a few applications and as long as your outside air temps are still over 55F during the day, you can re-apply 14 days later for a double knockout.Here are a list of other weeds you may be seeing that this product is labeled to control, some better than others .
Notes: It is very important to agitate this mix thoroughly and constantly. Even while you are spraying, be sure to shake the emulsion often.No watering for at least 24 hours after application. No mowing for at least 5 days after the application.
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Where Do Wild Violets Grow
Wild Violets grow best in shady, moist and fertile soil. They spread via underground root systems and seeds. Wild Violets form large colonies, connecting via their underground roots: rhizomes. They often occur in newer developments that were previously wooded or in established yards with forests nearby. via
How Do I Get Rid Of Wild Violets In My Lawn
I have an invasion of wild violets in my lawn. What should I do to get rid of them?
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but once violets have established a foothold in your lawn, they are extremely difficult to get rid of. Unfortunately, we have no good selective herbicide for violets. The trimec sprays may temporarily slow them down, but they usually bounce right back. Try using Roundup, a nonselective product. If the violets are just getting started, spraying small areas of the lawn and reseeding those areas after the kill is complete is an option. Another option is to paint the Roundup solution on the violets, avoiding the grass as much as possible. Since Roundup is absorbed through the leaves , this is an effective approach that does little harm to the grass. On the other hand, if the violets have invaded a larger area of your lawn, you have to make a decision: 1) kill both the grass and violets and start over, 2) if you are very patient, paint every violet leaf in sight, or 3) learn to live with the violets . The third option may work for naturalists, but lawn purists would be appalled!
Since it is difficult, if not impossible, to hold these violets captive, do not plant them in the first place unless their spread is your goal. If they do escape to your lawn, the earlier you attempt to bring them under control, the more successful you will be in getting rid of them.
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Controlling Violets In Lawns
The most effective way to control violets in lawns is chemicals. Pulling violets out of turf is almost useless and certainly, you cant mulch a lawn. Most lawns that use a lawn service dont have violets. Thats because lawn services apply a broad-leaf weed killer at the optimum time in summer. This appropriately named weed killer destroys the broad-leafed plants such as violets and leaves the thin-leafed plantslike your grass. If you dont use a lawn service, go your local garden center and check out the various chemicals that you can spread on your lawn that tout themselves as broad-leafed herbicides. Otherwise, simply look for something made for lawns that specifies controlling violets. Follow package directions exactly, especially on the time of year to apply the weed killer. Timing is everything. One note: Violets do best in light shade. Grass does not do well in light shade. Wherever grass struggles, weeds fill in. So your violet problem in your lawn may be because youre growing grass in a place it really shouldnt be growing. Consider trimming up trees, cutting out overgrown shrubs, etc. to allow more light in to the lawn. Or give up on the grass altogether and plant groundcovers, hostas, and other shade-loving perennials.
Are Violets Bad For Lawn
One of the most difficult weeds to control in the lawn is wild violet. This native plant may look cute and dainty, especially in the spring when it produces pretty purple flowers. But in reality it is an aggressive weed with an unusual flowering quirk that results in thick mats of leaves that can choke out your lawn. via
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Pull Your Way To Success
If you’re facing young, juvenile yard violets, hand-pull them before they become established. Simply grasp the young plant at its base and pull it upward with a slow, gradual tug. Don’t pull too quickly, as that might break the plant off at its base and leave behind its rhizomes, which will grow back into a new violet plant. For the best results, water the area first or wait for after a rainstorm because moist soil makes hand-pulling violets easier. Once removed, lay the wild violets in the sun for a few days to dry them out and kill them.
When To Get Rid Of Wild Violets
Using herbicide to eradicate wild violets is best undertaken in the fall. At this time, the herbicide will be transported down to the taproot as the plant stores nutrients for winter. Thus, you have a good chance of the herbicide killing the plant down to ground level with a fall application. If you use herbicide in the spring or summer, it might only temporarily kill the surface leaves, allowing the plant to rebound.
- Garden fork
- Work gloves
- Protective clothing and breathing mask
- Pump-style garden sprayer
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How To Prevent Wild Violets In Your Lawn
To prevent Wild Violets, make sure your grass is thick and healthy so theres no room for these weeds to take hold. Do not overwater to promote the moist soil Wild Violets prefer. We recommend mowing high so your grass roots are strong and deep. We always recommend adding Microclover to your lawn to feed your soil and keep your grass healthy.
How To Get Rid Of Wild Violets Organically
There are several organic ways to deal will violets on your lawn. Lets have a look at some of them.
1. Tolerating And Living With The Wild Violets
Even though its a crazy idea its by far the simplest and the most cost-effective way to deal with wild violets. All you have to do is try and enhance grass lawn wellbeing to give it a competing chance against the weeds.
Furthermore, not everybody considers these beautiful flowers a weed, and if managed properly, you can live with them peacefully.
2. Removing Wild Violets by Hand
Fresh and young violets flowers are relatively simple to pull out by hand. For older flowers, you can use opt for a garden fork to help you dig them out. However, this will only work on a small area or if the flowers are scattered across the lawn.
Plus, it is not easy to pull out the flowers completely with their roots, meaning they will grow back again after a short while. It is recommended that you follow up this method with a concrete plan to enhance the health of the lawn to help choke out new weeds.
3. Using homemade Wild Violet Weed Killer
You can also use a homemade weed killer mixture to kill violet flowers on your lawn. Mix horticultural vinegar and water and spray the solution directly to the flowering foliage. This homemade herbicide is believed to have an 80% success rate on wild violet.
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Are Wild Violets Safe To Eat
Wild Violets are safe to eat! Do make sure you correctly identify any and all plants that you forage before eating them. Violets are often used as a garnish on wedding cakes or other desserts. Flowers can be crystallized with sugar or used on their own. Violet jelly, liquor, syrup, vinegar, and tea are all common uses. Leaves and flowers together are often eaten on salads. Leaves can also be added to soups or stews. Violets provide both vitamins A and C.
Stay On Top Of Things
It may take a couple years to really get a handle on a big crop of violets. Understand that these weeds are very persistent and will try to come back. Dont wait until it is a big problem again to start a major war in your lawn. Plan proactively with a good lawn care program to keep these weeds in check.
It is possible to get rid of violets if you are more persistent than they are. If youre interested in finding out more about how we can provide the weed control treatments, soil testing, aeration, or seeding you need to win your violet war, please dont hesitate to contact us.
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How Do Wild Violets Grow
Even though they are a nuisance, wild violets can be very pretty. They have beautiful, short-lived flowers that can range in colors from white to blue to purple. When my sister and I were children, we would pick wild violets that grew in a forested area near our house and give them to our mother. Now, you can purchase these plants as a garden perennial. In a home lawn, they grow best in shady areas where the desired grasses have a more difficult time growing. This allows them to easily spread by both seed and through underground root systems called rhizomes. The leaves on violets are very tough, making it more difficult for weed control products to penetrate the surface. The extensive root structure spreads underground, allowing this weed to creep out of flower beds and into your lawn. Even when dug up, if any pieces of the root is left behind, the plant will regenerate and begin anew. This fact has really made the wild violet a difficult weed to remove from unwanted areas in your landscape.
How To Control Wild Violets In Kentucky Lawns
Theres an old saying that goes where theres one mouse, theres more. Unfortunately, the same could be said of wild violets in lawns. If youve spotted one violet, chances are theres an underground root system spreading like wildfire. While it technically isnt an invasive species, because its native to North America, it is incredibly invasive when it comes to lawns. They take root quickly and are difficult to eradicate but not impossible. Today, well discuss this perturbing plant and what you can do about it.
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Make Sure Your Lawn Is Healthy
Many homeowners dont take as good of care of their lawn as they should. Feed your grass with fertilizer anywhere from two to four times each year to encourage root growth and a healthy lawn. Fertilizing yourself will only take about a half hour with the right equipment. A thick, healthy lawn will prevent wild violets from growing.
How Do You Get Rid Of Ground Ivy
As pervasive as wild violets, finding the best weed killer for ground ivy can be a tricky task. While you can pull and pull at these weeds, this is not how to get rid of ivy on the ground, as this persistent growth will just come right on back.
So, how do you get rid of ground ivy effectively? Similar to wild violets, we recommend:
- A liquid broadleaf herbicide
- A long-term treatment plan
- Effective lawn care throughout the year
Like with wild violets, what kills ground ivy is an effective, professional application of broadleaf liquid herbicide. This will require more than one treatment a year, from the spring and into the fall. We also recommend waiting to mow your lawns for three days after treatment to best keep creeping charlie at bay.
Additionally, in order to find what kills creeping charlie but not grass, youâll need to boost your lawn care to strengthen and thicken your lawn. With this process, youâll limit the spread of ground ivy while ensuring you still have grass on your commercial property.
When it comes to the question of how do you kill creeping charlie, the more the better. With this in mind, a technician can spray your lawn with treatments whenever they are there to treat the lawn, creating a better potential for controlling this invasive weed.
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Use The Right Herbicides
Youll be hard pressed to try to wipe out a violet infestation with your four-step, hardware store, bags of lawn products. Violets will require multiple applications of liquid selective broadleaf herbicide throughout the year. Each time you treat, youll notice you wont entirely kill violets, but rather knock them back some. Professional lawn care companies will have an array of weed control products that they change throughout the year for maximum effectiveness. Some of these materials may not be available to the public for purchase. If the lawn is predominantly violets, you may even want to consider completely killing off sections of your lawn with a non-selective herbicide, such as Round-up, and starting from scratch. This may take a couple applications as well before violets are controlled.
A Closer Look At Violets In The Lawn
These low-growing broadleaf weeds are highly shade-tolerant but will also grow in sunny areas. The flowers on violet can be white, blue, purple, or yellow. They may look small and delicate, but wild violet is quite aggressive and can produce thick mats of leaves that end up depriving the rest of your lawn of nutrients. Unfortunately, violets are difficult to control because of their extensive root systems, their waxy leaf covering, and their fast-growing tendencies.
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How To Kill Wild Violets In Lawns
21 December, 2009
The violet, blue or white blossoms of the wild violet , also known as the common violet, sand violet and Viola papilionacea, spread across the lawn, marring the expanse of green perfection. Removing wild violets from lawns in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9 is difficult. The plants rapidly resprout from the roots after herbicide treatments killing wild violets is a process that requires persistence by the homeowner.
How To Kill Wild Violets Growing In The Yard Without Killing The Grass
21 September, 2017
Wild violet has a reputation of being notoriously hard to kill. But most of that reputation is because of the use of the wrong type of herbicide. Wild violet is only responsive to post-emergent broad leaf herbicides that contains triclopyr and is listed as safe to use on lawns. This type of herbicide is much more effective on wild violets than any other. However, wild violet is stubborn and it will likely take more than one application applied over more than one season to get rid of the plant for good.
Mow your lawn and the wild violet. By cutting the wild violet back, you will force it to start growing rapidly. Perennial weeds like wild violet must be actively growing when sprayed or else the herbicide will not be drawn down into the weed’s roots.
- Wild violet has a reputation of being notoriously hard to kill.
- Wild violet is only responsive to post-emergent broad leaf herbicides that contains triclopyr and is listed as safe to use on lawns.
Spray the wild violet once it has grown 3 to 4 inches. Coat all of the plant tissue, but stop just before the herbicide drips off of the plant. In roughly two weeks, most of the wild violet will have wilted and turned yellow.
Spray the wild violet again three weeks after the first application . The second application should kill the majority of this season’s wild violet. If not, spray again as necessary at the intervals specified by your herbicide’s manufacturer.
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