Dear Neil: My lawn is being taken over by this invasive weed. I’m also seeing it in the neighbor’s yard. Pulling it seems futile, as there always seem to be pieces left behind, plus I end up pulling up grass as well. I’ve tried using a vinegar spray, but it’s only helping a little. What is it, and what can I do? I have a big yard. You have Virginia buttonweed, one of the most challenging of all weeds. Herbicides aren’t as effective as we’d like them to be on it, and certainly not vinegar. It’s one of the weakest. Get rid of as many of the seed capsules as you can without shattering them and scattering the seeds across your lawn. Then I would suggest you go after it early next growing season with a mixture containing 2, 4-D and two other broadleafed weedkillers. Apply the herbicide with a tank sprayer so you can adjust the nozzle down to a fine droplet size. Stay after it until you have it all eliminated, then maintain a vigilant eye to be sure it doesn’t come back again. During the growing season you’ll see its four-pointed white star-shaped flowers that give rise to the fruit that you’re seeing here. Dear Neil: I know you write primarily for Texas, but I thought I’d give you a try. What is going on with my oak tree? Bark is peeling off. I don’t see any insects. The tree is in southern Alabama, very close to Pensacola, Florida. I’ll give it my best shot. We in Texas face similar problems with our live oaks, so this will probably be of value to our readers here, too. First of all, bark is a dead tissue. As a tree’s trunk and limbs grow and expand, it can only pop loose and fall to the ground. That’s normal, and the old bark is then replaced with new bark beneath. However, this trunk doesn’t look quite right. I do see the one branch stub where a small limb died and subsequently broke off. There probably is decay beneath the surface there. I also see many rows of holes from sapsuckers and/or woodpeckers. As the birds feed on the sap from the holes in the major limbs they keep coming back for more. Again, they usually do not do major damage. Since this seems to be showing down the trunk, there is a distinct chance that the problem overall may be farther down. Examine it closely for signs of insects or evidence of decay. At some point you very well may want to have a certified arborist stop by to examine the tree carefully. Dear Neil: How can I eliminate this weed that is showing up in all the local yards? I pull it out, but it keeps coming back. It grows just beneath the mowing height. This looks like prostrate knotweed (Polygonum aviculare). It resembles spurge, but its stems are not milky. University turf authorities recommend application of Dimension pre-emergent herbicides 2-3 weeks prior to the average date of the last killing freeze for your area to stop its germination for the next growing season. Maintain your lawn in a healthy, vigorous condition and it should be able to crowd out the invader in most cases. It looks like you’re trying to do that. Dear Neil: I have two large shade trees in my front yard. For 25 years the lawn has looked wonderful, but in recent years the shade has gotten so heavy that the grass has thinned out and now disappeared. One of the most respected lawn care companies can’t even make progress. What grass can I plant to replace the St. Augustine? It’s the most frequently asked question I get. Unfortunately, you have tried the most shade-tolerant turfgrass we grow here in Texas. Marketing companies will make big claims, but no other turfgrass measures up in ability to survive in reduced light to St. Augustine. However, even it has its limits. I had the same issue in my own lawn. I had lower branches removed from my trees. I even had a couple of unnecessary trees taken out entirely, but the older trees moved in to fill the voids. Eventually I switched over to shade-proof groundcovers like liriope, purple wintercreeper euonymus, ferns, and, most especially, regular mondograss (monkeygrass, or ophiopogon). Note than I did not mention dwarf mondograss. It’s too expensive and too slow growing. It’s also prone to soil-borne diseases. As things stand now, after several decades of dealing with this issue, I have thousands of square feet of mondograss. It gives much the same look as turfgrass without the mowing. Granted, we can’t play ball on it or chase the grandkids through it, but we have paths and patios for all of that. Dear Neil: I have a 12-year-old weeping willow tree. It’s been really pretty, but this year I’ve noticed that it didn’t have as many leaves as usual and one branch looks like it’s dying. What explanation might there be, and is there anything I should be doing to protect it? Think back to this summer and whether you saw any large beetles with long antennae swept back over their bodies. The insects would have been white with black markings making them look like finger-sized flying zebras. Those would have been cottonwood borers, and they’re responsible for the death of most willows by the time the trees are 8 or 10 years old. The trees fade out exactly as you described. Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do to protect them. The insecticides we once had available to prevent borer invasion are no longer on the market. If you liked your willow, and if you want another, you’ll probably want to root several 8-in. cuttings from it late in the winter so you’ll be able to plant them into your landscape next spring. They will root easily in water if you can be careful to insert the bottom end of each cutting into the bucket of water proper end down. (Remember that they probably were hanging upside down on the tree. The portion that grew closer to the roots must be stuck into the water.) Have a question you’d like Neil to consider? Mail it to him in care of this newspaper or e-mail him at mailbag@sperrygardens. com. Neil regrets that he cannot reply to questions individually.
https://tylerpaper.com/2025/11/23/sperry-lawns-of-homeowner-neighbor-plagued-by-invasive-weed/