Weirdest kind of weed I have ever seen! What is it?

[Doglover8180]

Texas summers, no rain, St. Augustine Grass, but have been watering to keep grass from dying. I have developed alot of these weeds - unlike any weed I have had before. I took a ton of pictures and am trying to include some that you can actually see it in. It's a dark green, wirey like weed that grows out instead of up and is overtaking my yard. Weed sprays do make the weed turn brown/black but pulling up the weeds is virtually impossible, the roots are very sturdy and there is tons of them so the St. Augustine that is being choked underneath this weed die and come up with the weed. What is it? What caused such an usual weed? How do I get rid of it? Sprays don't work. They kill the weed but it it is still sturdy in the ground and it spreads out, not up, making it that much more difficult.

[angeliainwonderland]

I wold suggest you take that pic to a landscape supply store. Here in Mo the best place is called "The Grass Pad" but I think it is a regional business. But anyway try superpages.com and look up that type of business.
I grew up in a family owned Green house business. We made a point of keeping info about plants and diseases. I am sure a local greenhouse /landscape business would do the same. Good luck

[Merczilla]

Can you clip some off and photo it on like sheet of white paper? All I can see is what looks like grass to me. I can't make out what the leaves of it look like or anything.

I'm no weed expert, though. I've ended up with thistles (totally non-native to Alaska) in my garden. I am not happy. Someone around here must have fed birds that seed. *sighs*

[queenofthehivemomof5]

It's hard to see what it is but to me it looks like crab grass. A very invasive type of grass.

[queenofthehivemomof5]

Can you clip some off and photo it on like sheet of white paper? All I can see is what looks like grass to me. I can't make out what the leaves of it look like or anything.

I'm no weed expert, though. I've ended up with thistles (totally non-native to Alaska) in my garden. I am not happy. Someone around here must have fed birds that seed. *sighs*

Thistles suck...we have them badly here. I pour boiling water on them, repeatedly to kill them without using chemicals. Bird seed is notorious for containing thistle seeds. We have Canadian thistles...they are prickly and the roots go deep.

[Doglover8180]

Pulled some of the weed out and took photo on white background (very good idea by the way). Photos attached.

[queenofthehivemomof5]

Does it flower or throw up seed heads?

[Doglover8180]

No to the flowering question.

I think the answer is no to the seed head too but not 100% sure what this is or what it looks like.

[queenofthehivemomof5]

Seed head...usually after a plant flowers it has to disperse seeds. Not all flowers are noticeable but the seed heads can be as they may grow taller than the restnof the plant so the wind can catch the seeds...

Is it like a grass or more of a leafy weed. Picture is better but still not easy to see.

You mention that weed killer turned it green. So did not kill it right? If you could spray it on your grass and not kill the st Augustine grass then I assume you used a weed killer that was safe for lawns. If it did not kill The weed then you may have an invasive typeof grass that is you weed culprit. Crabgrass, devil grass, etc.

[Doglover8180]

I mistyped, the weed killer did make the weed turn brown/black (without killing the surrounding St. Augstine) however, the weed was still there and still holding strong, just turned brown. It has a million roots, virtually impossible to pull up. Even in the batches where I have alot of it, it never grows tall (no taller than the St. Augustine). It has small leaves on it but is very wirey. When walking barefoot, it hurts your feet a little bit. It's not soft like St. A.