By DoMyOwn staff
Henbit is a winter annual weed that likes to grow in shaded areas and moist soil. To keep your lawn henbit free, you should apply both a post-emergent and a pre-emergent herbicide.
If your lawn or garden has weeds with white to purplish flowers, you may be dealing with Henbit, but with the proper treatment plan you can get rid of henbit and prevent this weed in your lawn.
Henbit is a winter annual weed that begins to develop in the fall and flowers in the spring and summer. It likes to grow in shaded areas with moist soil. It has heart-shaped leaves with jagged edges and square stems. It may grow up to 12 inches high, but it often stays lows to the ground due to weak stems and shallow roots.
To get rid of henbit weeds already growing in your lawn, use a post-emergent herbicide labeled for henbit control. Three-way herbicides, such as those containing the active ingredients: 2,4-D, MCPA and dicamba are a popular choice for controlling henbit, but it's important that you choose an herbicide that is safe to use with your grass type to avoid damaging your desirable turf.
While wearing long sleeves, pants, and gloves, mix your post-emergent herbicide and water in a hand-pump or backpack sprayer according to the ratio recommended on the product label. (pause) You can also mix in a dye indicator to help you see where you are spraying.
Spray the henbit weeds you see throughout your lawn, and re-treat throughout the season if needed.
For the best results, you should apply your henbit control products when rain is not in the forecast for 24 hours before or after your application, and you should not mow for 2 days before or after applying.
If you only have a few henbit weeds, you may be able to pull the plants by hand. Because they have a shallow root system, they can usually be pulled from the ground mostly intact--especially in areas where the soil is moist.
To prevent henbit weeds from taking hold of your lawn, we recommend applying a pre-emergent herbicide labeled for henbit in the early fall and in the spring. These henbit prevention products can stop the germination of new seeds before they can grow into new weeds and break the growth cycle. Pre-emergents containing Pendimethalin, Dithiopyr, and Prodiamine, among others, are options for preventing henbit seed germination.
And it's that easy with the expert help from DoMyOwn.com. Subscribe to our channel for more DIY and product videos.
