Taking Control of Weeds Before They Take Over Your Lawn

A lawn without weeds is a dream some homeowners fantasize about. In all honesty, it is close to impossible to avoid weed growth 100%. But by cultivating a lush, healthy lawn you may help prevent giving weeds an inch to take root. When lawns are thin, weeds invade.

Use a pre-emergent herbicide to halt weed seed germination of annual weeds, like crabgrass, annual bluegrass or henbit. Follow package directions carefully, some are better applied after rain, while others need watering in for best results. Post-emergent herbicides that kill weeds via leaf contact require wet foliage so the herbicide adheres to weed leaves. 

To get rid of weeds and avoid reproducing, hand pulling is a sure-way to remove them. Pull out weeds by hand, being sure to get the entire root of each weed. This is often easier when soil is wet, so plant to weed after rain, or consider running a sprinkler first if there's no rain in the forecast. Weeding by hand can be back-breaking work, but there are special tools that might make the work easier. Fish tail weeding tools can be inexpensive and helpful. When pulling weeds with a tap-root, like dandelions, you want to get as much of the root as possible. Pull  2 inches or more of root to ensure it won’t re-sprout. Having the soil moist will help in loosening those deep roots. 

When targeting a smaller amount of individual weeds, a handheld spray herbicide can work well too. If you have quite a few weeds in a particular area, you can use a pressurized sprayer to accomplish the larger area with less work. Be sure toIt’s keep a separate, clearly-labeled sprayer just for herbicide. To avoid damaging your healthy plants and shrubs, never spray herbicide on a windy day, as the herbicide can drift. If you accidentally get herbicide on desirable plants, wash its leaves right away, or clip the affected parts immediately and wash the plant thoroughly with water.

While there is no guarantee you'll have a permanently weed-free lawn, the best way to avoid weeds is to maintain the healthiest turf you can. Fertilize and water your lawn as needed, mow grass at the proper height, aerate and dethatch when necessary, add a layer of compost annually to help amend and nourish soil. Healthy, lush grass is your best bet to keep weeds at bay.  

Give us a call at Gardenin' Angels if you need help controlling your weeds or have other lawn or garden concerns:
774-284-1171.

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