Question
Chesapeake, VA

Thanks for your earlier remarks Kenneth.  I have identified the weed culprit as Henbit.  My research  has lead me to many solutions with herbicide ingredients that I don't understand.  What I need is the name of a product that I can buy that will kill this stuff without harming the fescue.  I understand that I missed the first window of opportunity, (post fall, and will have to wait till March/April).  Thanks

Answer
Congratulations on the succesful identification of your weed.

When you go to garden centers, look for a post-emergent herbicide (also called weed-and-feed if mixed with fertilizer) or broadleaf weed control. This is different from grassy weed control products (such as those formulated for crabgrass and foxtail for example).

A broadleaf weed control product is typically mixed with 2-4 active ingedients. You can find the name of the active ingredients on the lable on the back. One of the active ingredients should be: dicamba

I.e. look for broadleaf herbicides. A broadleaf weed is such as a henbit, dandelion or clover. A grassy weed is .. well grass such as crabgrass and foxtail.

The herbicide will have a lable. If the lable states: Dicamba then buy it. It can also read: 2-methoxy-3,6-dichlorobenzoic acid (the chemical name for dicamba). If you find the (excact) chemical name listed instead, it is safe to buy.

Here is a list of products with Dicambra:
http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=chem&id=2095

(copy paste the entire link into one line in your browsers address bar)

E.g. look for:
Spectracide, Vigoro weed and feed, Scott's Lawn Pro step 2 weed and feed products, etc

Any kind of weed control product which says it will eradicate broadleaf weeds (such as dandelions, clover, and henbit) can be used, as long as the lable states dicambra.

Use in late spring with 2 applications spaced about 14 days apart. If you buy a fertilizer w/broadleaf weed control mixed into the product, then do not use it more frequently than every 35-45 days.

I prefer a spray bottle (these will typically show dandelions on the front, but do check the lable for above active ingredients)