Oxalis is a low-growing perennial weed that is more resilient than most gardeners would like. It can take years of dogged determination to fully remove oxalis from a landscape. Read our tips on methods to control and eliminate this frustrating weed.

Is it oxalis?

You know you’re dealing with oxalis if you see a creeping plant that resembles a miniature clover, with small yellow flowers and heart-shaped leaves that close up at night. Oxalis spreads its seeds when the mother plant forcefully ejects the seeds pods as much as 10 feet away. Animals, people and insects also help oxalis to spread by carrying seeds to new areas. Its root system can be frustrating to control. Anywhere its stem touches the ground, the plant can grow new roots. (Gardeners, are you losing your minds yet?)Ready to do battle with oxalis? Here are our top five tips for conquering this weed:

Ready to do battle with oxalis? Here are our top five tips for conquering this weed:

1. Hand-pull the weeds.

Pulling oxalis weeds by hand is one method of eradication. Hand weeding is good, honest work – definitely one of our favorite pastimes. But oxalis can reproduce in so many different ways. Any portion of the weed left in the ground can produce a new plant. So if you go this route, you need to pull up the plants before they flower, and be careful to leave no fragments of the plant in the ground. You will need to continuously monitor and weed the area over several seasons to fully control the infestation.

2. Apply an herbicide.

The herbicides 2, 4-D, clopyralid, dicamba, mecoprop-p or triclopyr should kill oxalis. Buy a ready-to-spray version in small bottles (meant for small areas) or a concentrated formula that you mix with water and use in hose-end or pump sprayers. Make sure to read the label carefully and ensure that the chemical you buy will not harm other plants that you are trying to protect.

3. Overdose the lawn with iron.

If you want to go organic against oxalis, try liquid chelated iron. Grass can tolerate an overload of iron because they don’t fully absorb it. But many weeds, including oxalis, are fairly sensitive to it.

4. Keep your lawn thick and healthy.

A healthy, lush lawn is always your number one defense against unwanted weeds. Oxalis likes to sneak in where lawns are vulnerable, thin and patchy. So remember to water, aerate, and fertilize your lawn on a regular schedule. A good lawn maintenance program will keep your turf strong and resilient and prevent weeds. You can hire us at 614-808-4446 to set up a lawn care program designed to meet your needs.

5. If oxalis is a persistent problem, call Cardinal Lawns!

If you have any questions about oxalis, feel unsure about applying chemicals, or want to knock down unwanted weeds from your landscape once and for all, contact us at 614-808-4446.