If only a few weeds dot your lawn, changing your maintenance tactics might be all it takes to get rid of them. There really is a way to pull out even stubborn dandelions so they don't come back. No single herbicide, weeding technique or lawn care tactic works against all weeds. How you attack the weeds in your lawn depends on which you have. Most are annuals or perennials.
Annuals complete their life cycle in one season and reproduce from seeds.
Perennials live several years and spread underground as well as by seed, making them harder to control. The guide at right shows examples of the different types of weeds that plague lawns throughout the country. If you're still stumped about whether yellow nutsedge or yellow woodsorrel has invaded your turf, call the extension service in your area for help from experts. Most lawn weeds are opportunists that take root wherever they can find the space and catch a few rays of sunlight. These interlopers stand little chance of establishing themselves in healthy grass.