Spurge Control for Turf

Prostrate and spotted spurge are heat-loving summer annual broadleaf weeds that form flat mats in thin turf and along hardscape edges.

How to Identify Spurge

Opposite small leaves grow on reddish branching stems and often show a dark spot. Broken stems release milky sap, and plants hug the soil beneath mowing height.

Why It Appears in Turf

Compaction, dry open soil, heat radiating from pavement, and worn turf favor rapid germination and seed production.

Make the Site Less Favorable

• Maintain the recommended mowing height and avoid scalping.
• Correct irrigation, drainage, compaction, fertility, or shade problems that thin desirable turf.
• Repair bare areas and use adapted turf cultivars to close openings where seedlings establish.

Choosing a Turf Herbicide

Use the products below as a starting point, then match the herbicide to the desirable turf species and the weed's growth stage. Preemergence products must be applied and activated before germination; postemergence products work best on small, actively growing weeds. Repeat applications may be needed where the label allows.

Label note: Confirm the desirable turf species, use site, target weed, application timing, rate, adjuvant directions, and reseeding restrictions on the current label before use.