How to Get Rid of Foxtail Grass

Don’t let its cutesy name fool you. Foxtail grass is both a stubborn weed that will work to outcompete your lawn and a risk to any pets that like to spend time in your yard. Foxtail is common throughout the United States, so it can pop up almost anywhere. It’s also an aggressive grower, meaning it can quickly take over a lawn when it gets a toehold.

Want to know how to get rid of foxtail grass? First, you’ll need to learn how to identify it in your lawn.

What Does a Foxtail Look Like?

As its name implies, foxtail grass is characterized by distinctive seed heads, which can resemble the bushy tail of a fox. Depending on the type of weed in your lawn, they may be green, yellowish, or purplish in color. As the seeds mature, they become more bristly and take on a tawny or light brown hue.

The easiest way to identify foxtail is by its feathery seed head, which becomes more rigid and prickly as the plant matures. However, the seed head only appears in the summer. During the rest of the season, foxtail looks similar to crabgrass. To identify it, look at its leaves, which are flat and wide and have a rough texture. Many times, foxtail will be a brighter green color than your surrounding turf grass.

Why Foxtail Is Dangerous for Dogs

It’s never fun to have weeds in your lawn, but certain weeds are worse than others. Foxtail definitely falls into this category, especially if you have a furry best friend who likes to spend time outdoors.

Each seed of foxtail grass possesses barb awns, which are sharp, bristle-like appendages. These tiny hooks help the seeds burrow into the ground. Unfortunately, foxtail grass seeds can just as easily embed themselves in a dog’s fur, skin, eyes, ears, or nose. In a worst-case scenario, a puppy can swallow foxtail seeds, which may perforate the digestive tract.

Even in less serious cases, foxtail grass seeds can cause:

• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Difficulty breathing
• Skin abscesses
• Ear infections
• Hearing loss
• Eye damage, including scratched corneas and ulcers

Obviously, you want to protect your furry friend from any of these unpleasant experiences, which is why it’s time to learn how to get rid of foxtail weeds.

How Do You Kill Foxtail Grass Without Damaging Your Lawn?

There are several ways to get rid of foxtail grass. How can you do it without damaging the rest of your beautiful lawn?

Hand-Pulling

If you have a small infestation of foxtail weeds in your lawn, it may be easiest to simply pull them out by hand. Don’t forget about those barbed awns. Make sure to wear thick gardening gloves as well as long pants and sleeves.

Post-Emergent Herbicide Treatments

For larger foxtail outbreaks, you might need to bust out some post-emergent herbicides. If possible, choose a selective herbicide that targets grassy weeds without harming your turfgrass. You can find herbicides at most large home improvement stores and lawn care and gardening businesses.

Pre-Emergent Herbicide Treatments

If you’ve had foxtail spring up in your yard in the past, try to nip that tail in the…well, tail by using pre-emergent herbicides. These formulations are designed to stop weed seeds from germinating so they never grow to maturity. Again, look for selective herbicides designed for grassy weeds. Put down this treatment in the early spring.

Hire a Professional Landscaping Team

Still not sure what kills foxtail but not grass? It might be time to call in the experts, especially if you have a large outbreak on your property. A professional landscaping team usually has access to tools, equipment, and treatments that the regular public does not. They can also perform multiple treatments to ensure that foxtail doesn’t come back to your lawn.

Best Foxtail Grass Killer Options for Your Yard

Still wondering how to get rid of foxtail weeds? The right solution will depend on your particular circumstances. Hand-pulling could work if you just have a patch or two of foxtail in your yard. If the weeds are already spreading fast, then you’ll want to break out the selective herbicides. If you don’t need to preserve your surrounding grass, then a non-selective herbicide can do the job. And, as always, it’s never a bad choice to call in a professional landscaping team.

An experienced landscaping team will know exactly how to get rid of foxtail grass without harming your turfgrass and garden.

How to Remove Foxtails from Your Yard for Good

Here’s the question that many of our customers want to know: How do you kill foxtail grass for good? First, you’ve got to get rid of the main outbreak. Then prevention is the name of the game. The absolute best way to stop foxtail grass from ever returning to your lawn is to keep your turf grass healthy and strong.

That means watering, mowing, fertilizing, aerating, and addressing any pests or weeds as soon as they appear. If you have bare patches in your lawn, re-seed as soon as possible so weeds don’t take over that spot. In your garden, put down mulch and re-mulch as needed. Mulch does a great job of suppressing weeds while also keeping water in the soil.

If there’s one thing you take away from this article on how to remove foxtails from your yard, it should be the importance of ongoing lawn care.

Keeping Your Lawn Foxtail-Free

What if you don’t have the time, ability, or desire to constantly work in your yard in order to keep foxtail and other weeds away? Then, hire a team to do the work for you. At The Grounds Guys®, we know how to get rid of foxtail weeds. We can address your current foxtail issue and then implement a lawn care plan so the foxtail doesn’t return.

We’re proud to offer customized residential and commercial lawn services throughout the United States. Each of our local teams abides by our Neighborly Done Right Promise™, which means you’ll get incredible results as well as incredible customer service.

Request a free estimate today and say goodbye to foxtail weeds in your lawn.

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and may not be applicable to every situation. You are responsible for determining the proper course of action for your home and property. The Grounds Guys are not responsible for any damages that occur as a result of this blog content or your actions. For the most accurate guidance, contact The Grounds Guys location nearest you for a comprehensive, on-site assessment.