Get matched with top weed maintenance pros in Owosso, MI

If possible, you should prioritize pulling weeds up by hand. However, be sure not to use your bare hands, as many weeds are sharp or otherwise irritating when they come in contact with skin. Always don thick, protective gardening gloves to protect your hands when you pull up weeds.

The safest method to avoid killing your turf grass is hand pulling Johnsongrass. You can also apply vinegar for a safer herbicide, but it will still burn your lawn if it gets on it.

Glyphosate and other non-selective herbicides can kill orchard grass, but they will also kill the surrounding plants. Also, not all areas allow the use of glyphosate due to its environmental impact—which the EPA describes as a "potential risk to terrestrial and aquatic plants and birds, and low toxicity to honeybees." Consider mechanical removal to target the plants specifically.

Adding vinegar to your lawn increases the acidity of the area, which can kill quack grass present above the ground. However, putting vinegar in your yard will also kill the grass. Unfortunately, the below-ground quack grass rhizomes remain very much alive in the presence of vinegar and will soon sprout again.