Why are Wild Violets So Hard to Eliminate?
Wild violets are lawn invaders that once established in your lawn are hard to eliminate. Why? Here are the three main reasons why wild violets are so difficult to control.
Two Types of Flowers
There are two types of flowers on the wild violet plant. The purple ones which are exposed to the human eye, and unopened little flowers located beneath the leaves that protect them from herbicide control. These unseen flowers are fertile and don’t need to bloom to reproduce.
Strong Roots and Stems
The roots and stems of this little invader have evolved to survive droughts and gardeners! First, each seed that sprouts grows a thick root. When chopped, it just takes one little piece left in the ground to grow another violet. This root also makes the violet resistant to weedkillers available for home use. On top of this, they have robust-carrot-like stems that store water. That significantly increases the chances of surviving drought. When you try to kill these plants in the lawn, the stems survive and send forth new shoots.
Waxy Leaves
This is the third adaptation that makes these plants hard to eliminate. They have heart-shaped leaves with a waxy coating that acts as a barrier, so many herbicides have a hard time getting into their leaves.
Long-story-short, if you see one little violet this year, you will see hundreds next year, and so on until it takes over your lawn.
Controlling Wild Violets in Your Lawn
The perfect time of the year for controlling this stubborn perennial is the Fall.
Selective Broadleaf Killer
Add a spreader-sticker product to the herbicide of your choice for better adhesion of the product to the leaf surfaces, for better results.
Prevention
A thick and healthy lawn is ideal to combat wild violets. Grass with dense roots will help prevent those nasty little invaders from accessing your beautiful lawn.
Should you need help to get rid of wild violets in your lawn, contact the experts at Secure Lawn in TN. We have several weed controlling programs to combat not only wild violets but any other type of plant invaders.
