Using a spray bottle, set on "mist," and misting each individual seed head. NOT the ground so as not to kill the non-weeds.

These seeds are heavy grains, not mostly air borne, although I guess STRONG winds would carry them. Besides birds carrying them, these weeds seem to grow in patches not far from the main plants, from the seeds being dropped on the ground or mowed.

I'm sure there's a Lounge Botanist who knows the answer. I think I asked a few weeks ago and similarly got crickets. But crickets are not unusual.

Every state has a land grant university, and each of those have what is called an extension agent. In SC it is Clemson, in most states it is the university with "State" or "Tech" in their name. There used to be an agent in every county, but budget cuts might have ended that. You can take soil samples and they will give you a free analysis of what type of fertilizer you need for lawn, flowers, vegetable garden, etc. Likewise, you can bring in samples of weeds and they will advise you what to use to treat them and, more importantly, when to apply it. Check it out, the free service is probably available in your area.

may find more birds and butterflies in your yard!

weeds a single plant occupying the landscape is unnatural.

Cut them down or dig them out but I'd not worry or put much more effort in them than that.

Are you bullish on kudzu?

Most weed killers work via the foliage only.

If you are going to "spot spray", then go ahead and do it with a vinegar/salt/dish washing liquid solution.

At my Mom's house, she has a rental unit next to her that is vacant -- the yard is a mass of dandelions that migrate to her yard. I spent last year hand deadheading the neighboring weeds before the seeds had a chance to fully develop, then hitting the greenery with a good shot of the solution. This year, so far, the yard is almost clear of weeds. I think some minor maintenance deadheading and spraying will be all I'll need to do from here on in.

pulling the future seed head off its stalk before the seeds have a chance to develop and spread. You can do that with any weed/grass that spreads via seed. In the picture in the OP's post, the thing at the end of the stalk is the seed head that has already started to develop (the little white bits) -- if you yank that off the stem before that process begins, you are interrupting its life cycle. It takes a bit of time, but it is well worth it to stop the spread and cut down on future weeds.

I'll ask him to alert himself, maybe something like "The grass is greener in the Gardening Group.".

We used to pick them and shoot them at each other. You wrap the stem around and slide it forward quickly and top flower or whatever it is snaps off and goes pretty far if you're good at it. I was just ok. We don't seem to have them here.

unless it is spreading by roots as well, you will eventually "overgraze" it and kill it without using toxic substances.

if you cut or mow (or even spray) after the embryos are formed (seeds) you are wasting time and effort and probably helping to plant them.

annual plants put all their energy into getting those seeds mature so if you chop the plant down a couple of times while it is just starting to grow you burn up all of its energy reserves and it should die. If it isn't an annual and it is coming up from roots, then you need a different strategy (although removing all above-ground vegetation will kill it eventually) because it will have much more energy reserve in those underground parts.

Most "lawn weeds" are adapted to getting those seeds done FAST and then sprouting again when conditions are right - which most lawns tend to be - watered and fed benefits weeds the same as grass.

The best strategy is to keep it mowed - the grass is much more adapted to growing that way than most weeds, and removing the weeds' vegetation weakens and eventually kills most of them. The real key is to not get stressed about them. They are just plants, if you mow them short, who really cares if they are there?

If you must use poisons, a pre-emergent herbicide applied before things start growing (get it? PRE-EMERGE) is probably best. READ and follow the DIRECTIONS.

We would pull them being careful NOT to break the long stem. Take the stem and bend it over itself creating a loop. Tighten the loop as it nears the 'head' of the weed. Pull back on the loop until the 'head' shoots itself a pretty good distance! I mean for a weed. HEY it was the 60's, NO internet, no video games we made our own.

For my purposes, weeds fall into one of two categories. Either they are broadleaf weeds, or they are grass type weeds. For both types, they can either be dealt with pre-emergent or post-emergent. Pre-emergent is generally the easiest way to deal with weeds, especially if they appear at certain types of the year. You just put the pre-emergent out at the right time, and it should either wipe them out entirely or at least make them much easier to deal with post-emergent.

If you're dealing with weeds post-emergent, if they fall into the category of broad leaf weeds, they can be dealt with by using Weed-b-Gone, or a similar product. It's good to know the name of the weed so you can check the list of covered weeds. Following the manufacturers recommendations usually produces good results and the product is not that expensive.

For post-emergence of grass type weeds (crabgrass, dallisgrass, paspalum, etc.), the options are a bit trickier. My understanding is that arsenic-based herbicides have been banned by the EPA. I can no longer find MSMA or CSMA anymore so I assume this is true. These were great herbicides because they were cheap and extremely effective post emergent treatment for grassy weeds, especially on southern lawns. Unfortunately golf courses used the stuff by the 55 gallon barrel and it started affecting the water supply in Florida, which is why the EPA banned it. I believe you can still use Quinclorac, but it's not as effective and it's a lot more expensive.

You can always use glyphosate (Roundup) for post-emergence, but obviously this kills both the weed and the grass if both are green. I use glyphosate in the winter to spot treat weeds that are active when my grass is dormant. Glyphosate won't kill dormant grass. When your grass is not dormant, one other strategy is to soak a cloth with glyphosate and wipe it on the leaves of the weed to make the treatment more selective.

My strategy is pretty simple. I use a pre-emergent herbicide in the spring and the fall. I fertilize moderately during the growing season, and I keep my lawn mowed at the right level for the type of grass I have. This keeps most of the weeds at bay and I don't have that much need for post-emergent treatments.

Look for a tool called the Turf Hound. It plucks broadleaf weeds like that out in a fraction of a second and is easy to use. No chems and no profits for monsanto.

If you don't like that idea, you can use weedBgone on that.

As for your question about misting the seedheads, doubtful that will work. Roundup isn't all that effective. It's a shitty product and the company that makes it is dead set on controlling and ultimately destroying the worlds food supply.

Pour some plain white vinegar on each plant.
Roundup is a nasty chemical.