Probably a hybrid bermuda. Maybe closer picture of the weeds for identification?

Can you describe your maintenance practices? Mowing, watering, fertilizing, etc? Did you apply a pre emergent?

A large part of the problem is going to be the shade cast by that fence. That area where the weeds are is always going to take a little extra attention because of the shade. It's doable, though. The grass might never be AWESOME right there, but you can get some growing there.

As far as maintenance goes, I'm on the slacker side of that. I have not mowed since late October which I cut the grass to about 2 in. I used some green max earlier this year. I never have to water my lawn because I live in charleston SC. I have not put down a pre emergent yet because I thought it was too early, will the pre emergent kill the weeds I currently have? There is grass there by the fence but it's sparce, not too worried about the fence area, just overall I would like less weeds and mostly grass, so my kids don't get lost in the jungle. I've also attached a closer pic of weeds.

Really should have a closer look at the weed, but it looks like common chickweed...a winter annual. Being a winter annual means that it lives its life cycle during the cooler weather of mid fall to mid spring and that it has less than a one year life cycle.

The brown grass is either dead of dormant ( I do not know what grass species it is). So without the grass competing with the weed, the weed has no competition and is able to spread rapidly. To get rid of the weed, apply a broad leaf herbicide...which should be available at your local big box store. Follow the directions on the label. Herbicides that kill one type of plant and not others operate strategically, so following the instructions on the label is important. The pre-emergent will not kill weeds that have already germinated. Label usually says it has some effect on weed SEEDS, but realistically pre-emergents for use in lawns work on grass types with crabgrass being the target. (Chickweed is not a grass.)

Again the grass....you would need to say what state you are in, when the grass turns brown, when it greens up, if its clumping versus spreading, etc. So its probably easier to get an estimate from a lawn care company and have them identify the grass as they can view it in person.

If that is Chickweed you might wanna just source some Ortho Oxial Chickweed Clover right off the bat for a little bit better results on your kill.

http://www.ortho.com/smg/goprod/ortho-weed-b-gon-chickweed-clover-oxalis-killer/prod70214
It has a high percentage of Triclopyr which apparently is a bit better on the tougher kill broadleafs.

Otherwise another broadleaf killer with a higher percent of Triclopyr would be a good idea. Either way often will need to do a couple sprays a couple weeks apart to ensure a 100% kill.

A lot of people recommend a winter (put down in fall) pre-emergent preventive for a warm season lawn to prevent such an occurrence of winter weeds.

"If that is Chickweed you might wanna just source some Ortho Oxial Chickweed Clover right off the bat for a little bit better results on your kill.
http://www.ortho.com/smg/goprod/ortho-weed-b-gon-chickweed-clover-oxalis-killer/prod70214
It has a high percentage of Triclopyr which apparently is a bit better on the tougher kill broadleafs.

Otherwise another broadleaf killer with a higher percent of Triclopyr would be a good idea."

I know triclopyr is a bad idea on bermuda during the growing season, is it OK to use when bermuda is dormant?

If this were my lawn, I would get my hands{{gwi:807}} dirty and yank all that crap out, by hand{{gwi:807}}, before it seeds. Then I would apply a pre emergent herhicide to the whole yard now, and again in spring when the forsythia start to bloom.

Follow the label directions for the pre emergent you choose. There will be a maximum limit that you can apply annually specified somewhere in the label. Apply 1/2 of the yearly maximum amount of pre emergent in spring, and the other 1/2 in the fall. Probably about mid September for your area, when the weather starts to cool with lows in the 60's.

This post was edited by grasshole on Thu, Jan 15, 15 at 12:30

Go to Home Depot or Lowe's and look for a product called Image kills Nutsedge. It will be in a white bottle with a green top. You can use that to kill chickweed and not worry about hurting your lawn. With the cooler temperatures it WILL take longer for you to see the weeds die off but they will eventually.

You can also spread the PreM out in 3 month intervals too just make sure not to go over the yearly recommended amount. You can actually put some out now and then again in April. There are many options out there.

Do you know what kind of grass you have?

This post was edited by mightyquinn1 on Thu, Jan 15, 15 at 13:06

I don't think he does yet, mightyquinn1. My bet, based on location and the fact it is dormant, is hybrid bermuda. Probably tifway.

Hopelessgreenthumb, if you find out it IS bermuda, Google "bermuda bible". Do what it says. Then stand back and watch your yard get amazing.

This post was edited by grasshole on Thu, Jan 15, 15 at 13:15

Hope this is close enough, also if it makes any difference I bought tris house new 3 years ago and it was sod.

Now looks like centipede to me, but I really hate guessing. Feel like I'm sending you on a wild goose chase. I agree with the poster that said to have someone ID it in person.

If I was a betting man I would say it is centipede too!!

Looks a lot like my neighbors lawns!!!

Will this work ?

it will prevent any NEW weeds from coming up but you will have to kill what you have first. I think Halts only has like 45 days of protection. I will have to check on that though.

So I pretty much have to weed everything by hand and then put this stuff down? Or is there something I can use in conjunction with this to kill the weeds.

You will have to go buy something that you SPRAY on the weeds to actually kill them or remove them by hand. Halts will only PREVENT weeds from growing for 2-3 months. There is no other way around getting rid of them, you will either have to spray them and wait a few weeks and spray again most likely or get a string trimmer and take them out and then dig the soil up to make sure you got everything.

Go to Home Depot or Lowe's and look for a product called Image kills Nutsedge. It will be in a white bottle with a green top. You can use that to kill chickweed and not worry about hurting your lawn. With the cooler temperatures it WILL take longer for you to see the weeds die off but they will eventually.

Awesome, thanks everyone for all the help.