Common broadleaf weeds (soft stems and leaves) in lawns include dandelion, clover, creeping buttercup, and many others. Minimize these weeds in your lawn by growing thick, robust grasses. Physically remove weeds as needed. Lawn-specific herbicides kill broadleaf weeds and don’t harm grasses when label instructions are followed. Follow up by reseeding areas where you have removed weeds.

Common grassy weeds (which grow from their base and have parallel leaf veins) include crabgrass, annual bluegrass, creeping bentgrass, and quackgrass. Minimize grassy weeds in your lawn by growing a thick, robust lawn. Physically remove grassy weeds as needed. Herbicides effectively control grassy weeds when label instructions are followed. Follow up by reseeding areas where you have removed weeds.

Moss in lawns stands out from grasses. It has a different color and texture. Scrape out moss to expose the soil and reseed grasses. Moss-killer products work to control moss in lawns. However, you still have to scrape it out and reseed. If you don’t change the conditions that favor moss, it will regrow.

Learn to identify insect pests and their damage to lawns in the Pacific Northwest. Insect pests vary by the type of grass in your lawn and the climatic region (east and west of the Cascade Mountains). Growing a healthy lawn is the best way to minimize damage from insects. Find solutions for insect pests in your lawn.

Learn to identify plant diseases and their damage in lawns to the Pacific Northwest. Plant diseases vary by the type of grass in your lawn and climatic region (east and west of the Cascade Mountains). Growing a healthy lawn is the best way to minimize damage from plant diseases. Find solutions for plant diseases in your lawn.

Mushroom fairy rings are caused by many species of fungi. They can grow in any type of grass. Rings of mushrooms appear in the spring or fall when the soil is moist. They feed on decaying organic matter like thatch, dead tree roots or bark mulch. This decay releases nitrogen. This causes the grass to grow dark green in a contrasting ring. Fairy rings can prevent water from penetrating to the roots of the grass, weakening or killing it. Broadleaf weeds and grassy weeds may invade the center of the ring. Fairy rings may disappear suddenly.