If you just saw the word “mallow” and immediately craved s’mores, that makes more sense than you think.
Yes, mallow is a weed. But guess what? Those squishy white marshmallows you love to toast for s’mores were originally made from the sap of the roots of mallow grown in marshes.
Marsh. Mallow. Mind blown, right? Gelatin has since replaced the sap, but the name stuck.
Pretty cool. Stash that fact away in case you’re ever on Jeopardy. But you probably still want this pesky weed out of your pretty lawn.
How to get rid of common mallow? Let’s get to it.
First, What Does Common Mallow Look Like?
This weed is easily recognized by its geranium-like leaves that have five or seven lobes. Its flowers seem small and drab compared to its dramatic display of leaves.
What Weeds Does Common Mallow Get Confused With?
Common mallow is often mistaken for ground ivy. How to tell the difference?
Ground ivy leaves are located opposite each other on the main stem and have rounded edges. Mallow leaves have deep ruffled edges.
Also, if you crush a ground ivy leaf in your fingers, it smells like mint. If you crush a common mallow leaf, it smells like s’mores. (Just kidding. That would be cool, though.)
How to Get Rid of Common Mallow
Mallow produces a lot of seeds, so using a pre-emergent herbicide in the spring will help prevent seeds from germinating.
Unlike other weed control products that kill weeds that have already sprouted, pre-emergent herbicides work ahead of time, preventing seeds of unwanted plants like mallow from sprouting in the first place. They target the weed seeds before they have a chance to germinate.
Timing is everything. It’s important to apply the pre-emergent herbicides early enough because if you wait too late, they won’t be effective. Lawn care services in Idaho typically start applying pre-emergent around April 1.
Uh, Oh — Too Late?
Missed your pre-emergent window? It happens.
Broadleaf herbicides applied in mid-spring through early summer when the plant is young and actively growing can help, but mallow is a tough one.
How We Attack Common Mallow — and Other Pesky Weeds
When you choose Lawn Buddies, you get one premium, six-visit lawn care program that includes everything your lawn needs to grow healthy and green, including weed control that’s perfectly timed throughout the year.
Most weeds are banished over the course of the six-step program.
But some extra-tough weeds like common mallow sometimes require a different herbicide, which is an additional visit on top of the normal lawn treatment.
Controlling weeds is a process, not a one-shot deal.
A Healthy Lawn Helps Prevent Common Idaho Lawn Weeds
The best method of control for weeds is establishing healthy turf, including proper fertilizing, watering, and mowing.
Weeds like common mallow hate a thick, healthy lawn. Dense grass crowds out weeds and blocks the sunlight their seeds need to sprout.
Weeds love to push through struggling lawns to take over weak spots. So your best line of defense is to keep your grass thick, lush, and healthy with a lawn care service annual maintenance program for healthy, strong roots. Then weed seeds will have a tougher time sprouting.
How to Kill Common Mallow? Leave it to Lawn Buddies
Weeds are the worst. Getting rid of them can be complicated.
But if you want simple, hassle-free Idaho lawn care that offers quality core lawn care services for a healthy green lawn, it doesn’t get easier than Lawn Buddies.
No puzzling over a weed control visit here or a fertilizer treatment there. No stressing about which complicated combination of lawn care services is best for your lawn.
You don’t have time to fuss with all that. Give yourself a break.
Welcome to one premium, six-visit lawn care program that includes everything your Idaho lawn needs to grow healthy and green.
Fertilizer, weed treatments, and grub control, all wrapped up in six visits, each perfectly timed throughout the season, so your grass is green and strong and resists weeds.
Is Your Lawn Ready for a New Best Friend?
Stop worrying about weeds like common mallow and partner with a company that makes lawn care easy.
Choose a professional lawn care service in the Idaho Falls, or Boise, ID area that bundles your yard’s most-needed treatments into one convenient, no-fuss plan that tells you the cost up front.
We’ve got your back.
Got a few minutes? That’s all you need to get started.
Fill out the form on this page
Call us at (208) 656-9131
Or read more about our services
Then kick back and relax in your healthy, thriving yard.
Image Source: Mallow, Ground Ivy
