Controlling Weeds in Liriope
Q: I have a centipede lawn with a healthy row of variegated liriope bordering a mulched island. I have been battling yellow wood sorrel (oxalis, I think) in my lawn. I have been spot treating with atrazine. The oxalis has started invading the liriope. I am afraid the atrazine will kill my liriope if I use it to control oxalis. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
A: Controlling unwanted plants in groundcovers is tough. Weed chemicals aren’t mind readers; they kill what they are designed to kill. In your case, atrazine is designed to kill broadleaf plants. Liriope is considered a broadleaf plant, but atrazine can be used around it with great caution. Oxalis behaves as a perennial and an annual. It readily sprouts from roots and ejects seeds up to fifteen feet away. The best advice I can offer is a three way action: post-emergence, pre-emergence, and manual removal. Atrazine can control oxalis as both a pre-emergent and post-emergent, but you must not get it on the liriope plants.
I have an idea for controlling the atrazine spray. Cut off the bottom of a gallon milk jug. Use duct tape to tape the nozzle of a sprayer into the neck of the jug, pointing downward. You can place the jug where you want to use atrazine. This will shield the liriope from microdroplets. But remember, hand-pulling must accompany the spraying.
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