# How to get rid of poa annua in under 10 minutes



## HoosierLawnGnome (Sep 28, 2017)

Step 1: wait for it to rain
Step 2: pull poa annua out with your left or right booger hook
Step 3: discard it

Repeat until no more poa annua

Boom. 1.5 acres of poa annua free KBG

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Obviously that was a loaded title! 🤣🤷‍♂️😜

Every year I get a little poa annua and this is how I get rid of it: * I pull whatever the pre emergent doesn't prevent.*

But what's the bigger program?

First, I put down pre emergent before poa annua emerges in the spring in fall.

I split the annual rate of my preferred pre emergent (prodiamine) in half, and apply half at or before the forsythia blooms in the spring, and the other half before the fall weed season. For me, that's late August.

That prevention is the most important part of poa annua eradication.

Then I pull what makes it through.

Now obviously I dont have a major infestation. I'm in maintenance mode.

But even if you have a lot in a small area,, physically removing it will look better sooner than spraying it with Tenacity.

It takes seasons, not a magic potion in a backpack sprayer after you see it. Too late then, my friend.

The second part is getting rid of it before it makes more. Wait for a gentle rain. Walk around the yard and pull it out.

Other than that, I pull it after it rains a bit. The roots of the plant are shallow and dense. I like to "grab it by the scruff of the neck", like how you may pick up a cat or rabbit at the back of the neck.

Imagine a plant under these dirty fingers:


Then pull it parallel to the ground and it will rip right out with the rootball attached. Go try it. You'll get the hang of it.

Before: 
*when its mixed in it's hard to get all out. I just pull until the seedheads are gone without leaving a bare spot.


After:


See? Pretty much gone. No, I'm not going to bother scraping up all the dead stalks and litter.

Here are some larger plants you can grab "by the scruff of the neck":


All gone! Well, for now. It will be back next spring but I'll have 10 plants instead of 15, unless the creek overflows more times and brings in all the junk from upstream.

Voila. No poa annua. For now. 10 minutes tops, with pictures.


What's the lesson? Sweat equity and properly timed pre emergent are the best poa annua eradication regimens for most homeowner scenarios.

Unless you have a huge area with a major infestation, just keep at it with pre emergent and sweat equity for several seasons.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

:thumbup:

One key step for the mixed in, bleach them with tenacity to spot them.



And the tip of a hori hori speeds up removal.


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

I'm not sure I understand. If you'd come over I have enough you could do a demo for me.


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## social port (Jun 19, 2017)

Love the video. 
On a scale from 1 to 10, how would you rate the importance of throwing it?


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## HoosierLawnGnome (Sep 28, 2017)

@g-man It sure does! Mine is highlighted in my pics too

@Bug pumper I actually kinda like it. It's like the guilty pleasure of popping a zit or something

@social port I was cut from the baseball team in 9th grade. Now you know why.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

I don't know why but for some reason I didn't picture your voice to sound like that. Yes I pictured how your voice sounded from your username. :dunno: :smile:


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## jht3 (Jul 27, 2018)

I did the same thing this year. Prodiamine last fall and hand pulling this spring when the ground is super soaked. It does come up easily. Good thing I had extra quarantine time to patrol my .25 acre, can't imagine 1.5!!

I also got over excited with round up on the heavily infested parts.

Now I'm trying to grow tttf in the bald spots but not going well with so much rain and cold weather.


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