Is this something that can be controlled; this is the first I’ve seen this and it’s spreading.

That one looks like it came up with roots attached.....pulling weeds is theraputic as well as highly and immediately effective.

Pull it up ASAP. It is an annual that spreads by seed, and you can see either the flowers or seeds forming near the stem on yours. Bag and trash rather than compost to get rid of the seeds. You will need to do this for a few years since the seeds last several years in the soil, but if you are vigilant you can pull before they get large and go to seed. Take a close look at leaves and stems so you can recognize them earlier next season.

These are all over the place now; don’t know how they got on my property. Last year I don’t recall this being an issue. I never had a weed this invasive; they are taking over, probably trying to get into my house. Other than keep pulling and bagging, is there any other recommendations?

Since these are annuals, you can use a preemergent properly timed next spring to see if that helps, but you would need to be comfortable using synthetic garden chemicals. Preemergent herbicides prevent the newly germinated seeds from growing roots so they don’t survive. An organic alternative is corn gluten, most easily found as organic Preen. Regular Preen is a synthetic.

I just pull it, but I am not trying to have a pristine lawn.

Yeah, this year I tried to go organic and used corn gluten but I suspect it wasn’t strong enough to get rid of it. I realize corn gluten takes time to be affective but I think I have no choice but to return to a synthetic. I try to be a responsible gardener but it’s really out of control now. Thanks

These kinds of annual weeds take advantage of bare soil. If you can get your lawn thicker and healthier they shouldn’t be such a problem.