Parsley-Piert Control: How To Get Rid of Parsley-Piert

This article is a general DIY guide for parsley-piert control. You will reduce and control parsley-piert weeds around your home using the suggested products and methods. Follow this guide and use the recommended products, and we guarantee a great decrease in your parsely-piert weed population.

Parsley-piert, or Aphanes arvenis, is a winter annual low-profile weed that commonly infests lawns with excess soil moisture. This freely branched weed range is often overlooked due to its small size and short growing season. 

This troublesome weed will persist in various growing conditions but is often most noticed in disturbed soil and areas where turf is weak. As a result, this weed is very common in landscape beds and turf sites of residential properties. 

Parsley-piert develops a deep fibrous root system and exhibits a prostrate growth habit that allows it to survive frequent mowing at varying blade heights and various soil site conditions. This weed is also difficult to control due to its ability to resist a wide range of selective herbicides and its ingredients.

If parsley-piert is uglying up your lawn, our DIY treatment guide can help. Our lawn care experts recommended the directions below and will show you how to properly eliminate parsley-piert from your property.

Identification

Before proceeding with treatment, you will need to be certain that the type of weed infestation you have is parsley-piert. Careless identification can lead you to use the wrong herbicides, wasting your time and finances. 

• Parsley-piert is a winter annual broadleaf weed with several loose branches that grow low to the ground. This weed will also grow in clumps between 1 to 3 inches tall. 
• Each fan-shaped leaf contains 3 lobes, each of which is subdivided into 3 to 4 lobes. Leaves are gray-greenish in color and range between 4 to 8 mm long and 4 to 10 mm wide. 
• When parsley-piert has matured, you will see small and green flowers formed at the axis of the leaves. 

Use the description and image above to help you properly identify parsley-piert on your property. If unsure, contact us and send a photo of your weed through email or in person at one of our stores to help you identify the weed and suggest treatment options.

Inspection

Once confirmed that you are dealing with parsley-piert, you can move on to inspection. During this phase, you will locate areas where parsley-piert is thriving and observe the conditions allowing it to thrive. This information will help you know where to focus your herbicide application.

Where to Inspect

Parsley-piert grows well where the turf is thin, and the soil is well-drained. It can handle soils that are both alkaline and acidic. 

This weed is common in lawns, fields, landscape beds, and pastures. It will also grow in dormant warm-seasoned turf, disturbed sites, and wastelands. 

What to Look For

Parsley-piert is a weed that often goes unnoticed due to its small size and ability to emerge in cooler weather. This weed usually becomes established in autumn, setting seeds in the spring or early summer and dying off when temperatures increase in the late spring and summer. 

Flowers and seeds are produced in late spring and summer. Current plants will end their life cycles, but new plants will grow from seed next season.

Once they emerge, parsley-piert can be recognized by its tight, low-growing mat formations. 

Treatment

Always wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) when mixing and applying herbicides.

Parsley-piert is a tricky weed to control because it is shown to be resistant to selective herbicides.

The best way to remove parsley-piert is to encourage thick, healthy grass growth. You will need to employ frequent applications with a systemic herbicide. 

Products containing MCPA, 2,4-D, dicamba, mecoprop, triclopyr, or clopyralid are not entirely effective against parsley-piert weeds. However, products containing picloram, glyphosate, imazaquin, MSM, or sulfentrazone have shown the best results for parsley-piert control. 

Step 1: Mix and Apply Herbicide

Fahrenheit Herbicide is a post-emergent herbicide containing dicamba and MSM that will eliminate a broad spectrum of weeds in warm-seasoned turf. 

Eraser 41% Glyphosate is a glyphosate-based non-selective herbicide that kills any weed it contacts. Due to its non-selective formulation, it eliminates any foliage it contacts, including the desired ones. It is best to use this product to control this weed in listed areas where it should not be growing.

You will want to use a handheld pump sprayer or backpack sprayer for either of these products. 

To avoid cross-contamination in the future, we recommend marking off a sprayer specifically for non-selective herbicides. A physical barrier, such as a cardboard box, will help prevent unwanted spray drift between the weed and desired foliage. 

Determine how much herbicide to use by measuring the square footage of the treatment area. To do this, measure the length and width of the treatment area in feet, then multiply them together (length X width = square footage). 

To make spot applications with Fahrenheit Herbicide, mix 0.2 oz. of product per 1 gallon of water per 1,000 sq. ft. 

To enhance this product's control rate, we recommend mixing it with a non-ionic surfactant like Nanotek Surfactant. Simply add 1 oz. of Nanotek Surfactant per 1 gallon of spray solution. 

To make spot applications with Eraser 41% Glyphosate, use 2 1/2 oz. (5 Tbs) per gallon of water to treat an area of approximately 300 sq. ft. 

Fill your selected sprayer with half the water, add the measured amount of herbicide, and then add the remaining half. Next, add the proper amount of surfactant. Close the spray tank lid and shake until evenly mixed.

With your solution of choice, spot-treat any weed you find during your inspection. Use a fan or cone spray pattern to ensure the leaves are fully coated, and spray the weed to the point of wetting but not runoff.

Step 2: Reapply 

If parsley-piert is still present after the Fahrenheit Herbicide application, you can apply a second application 4 to 6 weeks after the first treatment.

Most treated weeds with Eraser 41% Glyphosate usually show initial symptoms in 2 to 4 days and complete kill in 1 to 2 weeks. Hard-to-control weeds that are not completely dead in 4 weeks may require a second application. 

Applications are most effective when the plant grows young before flower or seed production.

Prevention

Once parsley-piert has been eliminated from your property, you must implement preventative measures to ensure this winter's annual weed does not return.

• A pre-emergent herbicide would be best to prevent parsley-piert from returning to your property. Dimension 2EW Herbicide is a selective, pre-emergent herbicide concentrate that will control broadleaf and grassy weeds, including part in established lawns and other terrains. Apply 0.73 fl. oz. of Dimension 2EW Herbicide per gallon of water per 1,000 sq. ft. Mix and apply this product with a handheld pump sprayer or backpack sprayer. Broadcast the product over your treatment area, then after 6 hours, water the area with about half an inch of irrigation.
• Parsley-piert is an aggressive weed that can overtake thin or bare turf areas. The denser the vegetation, the better this weed cannot grow, so we recommend thickening up your turf with a product like Solutions 15-5-10 Weed & Feed with Trimec. This dual combined fertilizer and weed killer product promotes healthy turf growth and controls weeds like parsley-piert in one application. Mow your lawn to normal height 1 to 2 days before application. For most applications, you will need to apply 3.2 to 4.0 lbs. of Solutions 15-5-10 Weed & Feed with Trimec per 1,000 sq. ft. of treatment area. Spread the product evenly across the treatment area with a push or broadcast spreader. After 1 to 2 days after the application, water the granules thoroughly. When applied properly, your grass will improve health, while the built-in herbicide will control established weeds.
• Adjust the blades on your mower to avoid mowing too low and potential scalping, as increased stress on turf can create suitable conditions for weed growth. Reduce the shade cast on your lawn by trimming overgrown shrubbery and tree branches, raking away leaf litter, and picking up debris.
• Maintain a balanced watering program for turf by using no more than 1 inch of irrigation once per week. Watering in the morning would be best as this will help avoid heat stress on plants and fast water evaporation. 

Key Takeaways

What is Parsley Piert?

• Parsley-piert is one of the most difficult freely branched winter annual weeds to control on home lawns because of its persistence and herbicide resistance.

How to Get Rid of Parsley Pierts

• Our top recommendation for treating parsley-piert is to use Fahrenheit Herbicide or Eraser 41% Glyphosate. 

Preventing Parsley Piert Reinfestations

• Parsley-piert can be prevented with a pre-emergent like Dimension 2EW Herbicide. Maintain a good fertilization schedule for your lawn so your lawn is getting adequate nutrients in the soil with a product like Solutions 15-5-10 Weed & Feed with Trimec. Adjust other cultural practices such as watering and mowing as well.