What is the spark?
Centella, or dollar grass, is a broad-leafed perennial that grows in soil or water. You may see it on your lawn or floating in water. Read on to learn how to identify pennywort, how to get rid of it, and prevent it from growing in your lawn.
Identifying Centella
When still young, the leaves of dollar grass seeds are egg-shaped and about 0.5 inches long. As they mature, grass and pennywort or dollar grass have properly structured leaves and are hairless. The floating ones have fleshy leaves, while the grass ones are kidney-shaped. Centella generally blooms from spring to summer, between March and August. But in conducive conditions or humid environments, these plants can flower all year round.
What does the spark look like?
The leaves of centella or dollar grass are fleshy, round and bright green. These weeds can look like water lilies when they are floating. Its flowers look like umbrellas and the flower head usually has three to 10 stemless flowers.
Is there a plant that looks like it?
Dichondra is often confused with a dollar weed because its leaves also grow parallel to the ground. One way to identify dichondra dollargrass is by looking at the leaf stem. The stem of centella is in the center of the leaf, while the stem of the latter is on the edge.
Control the spark
Centellas are aquatic plants, meaning they thrive in humid environments. An effective way to control them is to address poor drainage and control grass moisture levels. Make sure your lawn only receives about an inch of water per week, preventing it from becoming soggy. Maintain your lawn regularly by keeping it well fertilized, preventing dollar weed from growing.
Improving your lawn can also help prevent dollar weed from growing. You should maintain an appropriate cutting height (not too short) to keep the grass growing thick and be sure to treat any insect infestations or soil problems.
How to get rid of centella
One thing you should know about this water-loving plant is that it can be difficult to get rid of once it has taken up residence in your lawn. Fortunately, you can remove them naturally or by using chemicals.
If there are few of them, it would be appropriate to pull them by hand. However, be sure to remove the root completely. Otherwise, they will just come back. Using vinegar can also be effective in getting rid of centella. Its acetic acid can destroy centella leaves, preventing them from producing food. Pouring boiling water can also kill centella, but do this only when there are no other plants nearby.
Mulching can also smother dollar grass. Consider placing cardboard or newspaper over the weeds and placing tree bark mulch on top. You can also use a chemical herbicide to kill pennywort. Spray the herbicide when the plants are still young, which will make eradication easier. However, when using a herbicide, we recommend reading the label and following the instructions carefully. Some grasses are sensitive to herbicides, ensuring you have the right herbicide to prevent damage to other plants.
Prevent lightning
Pennywort or dollar grass can thrive in damp grass or humid environments. The key step to prevention is to monitor soil moisture levels to ensure it is not always wet.
What is the best way to prevent centella weeds?
You can prevent pennywort from growing in your lawn by improving soil drainage. Reduce watering so the soil does not become soggy. Dollar weed can thrive and grow in moist environments, and can be difficult to eradicate once it has established itself in your garden or lawn. Get rid of them as soon as you can.
We also do not recommend pulling weeds by hand if there are several weeds, as you may not be able to remove all the roots completely. If possible, use herbicides or vinegar to get rid of this plant. Do you need help with lawn care to ensure that no centweed can thrive in your lawn? Contact us today.
