Mechanical Removal:
Stiltgrass can also be cut using a weed whacker, mower, or scythe from mid-August through September to prevent it from going to seed. Because stiltgrass is an annual, cutting LATE in the summer when you see the thin flower heads forming on the end of the stalks stops the seeding process and doesn’t give the plant enough time to regrow. Do not cut it earlier in the season because stiltgrass then responds by regrowing, flowering and dropping seed sooner than normal and it’s how people end up with a lawn full of short stiltgrass >>>>>>So the best prevention is a combination of hand pulling when it emerges followed by a timely cut back of larger populations.<<<<<

What Happens if the grass starts to go to seed?
If you miss getting the grass earlier and it starts to go to seed you can solarize it by pulling it and putting in a CLEAR plastic bag. Put the bag in the sun for a few days and it will get hot enough to kill the seed or any seedlings that start to germinate. Even then do not put this in a compost but rather make an area on your property where you can dump the cooked plant materials and keep the vegetation covered with a tarp until it breaks down completely.

Mechanical Removal:
Stiltgrass can also be cut using a weed whacker, mower, or scythe from mid-August through September to prevent it from going to seed. Because stiltgrass is an annual, cutting LATE in the summer when you see the thin flower heads forming on the end of the stalks stops the seeding process and doesn’t give the plant enough time to regrow. Do not cut it earlier in the season because stiltgrass then responds by regrowing, flowering and dropping seed sooner than normal and it’s how people end up with a lawn full of short stiltgrass >>>>>>So the best prevention is a combination of hand pulling when it emerges followed by a timely cut back of larger populations.<<<<<

What Happens if the grass starts to go to seed?
If you miss getting the grass earlier and it starts to go to seed you can solarize it by pulling it and putting in a CLEAR plastic bag. Put the bag in the sun for a few days and it will get hot enough to kill the seed or any seedlings that start to germinate. Even then do not put this in a compost but rather make an area on your property where you can dump the cooked plant materials and keep the vegetation covered with a tarp until it breaks down completely.

Meagan and Graeme’s Big Surprise by Mussar, 2014