Weed control is one of homeowners’ biggest lawn troubles. Even if your lawn has been weed-free for years, without careful maintenance, weeds can sprout at any time. And for others, they’ve never gotten even close to that point. So what’s to be done?
First, you need to know what kind of weed you’re dealing with. There are three general types of weeds: unwanted grasses, sedges, and broadleaf plants. Unwanted grasses include any grasses other than the one you are trying to grow in your lawn, such as quackgrass. Sedges are grasslike plants like yellow nutsedge. Broadleaf plants make up the majority of common weeds. Included in their ranks are dandelions, white clover, ground ivy, yellow woodsorrel, and spotted spurge.
It helps to know the categories, but many herbicides, which are a common defense against weeds, are specific to the plant. Look up pictures of the common weeds listed above to see which have invaded your lawn, and buy the appropriate herbicide.
What can you do to take care of weeds before using herbicides? Here are some maintenance tips to keep your lawn free of plant pests:
- Crowd out the weeds: Having a robust and thick lawn will keep ensure that weeds don’t get the energy and resources they need to grow. This is the best way to keep your lawn free!
- Use appropriate fertilizer: Too little fertilizer contributes to your grass losing to weeds, as they will get access to the sunlight they need. Too much, and you can be providing resources for other weeds. Also, be sure to use the right kind of fertilizer – controlled-release nitrogen fertilizers like sulfur-coated urea, ureaform, and IBDU supply a steady source of nutrients for your plants.
- Water your lawn right: Again, it’s about finding a balance. Too frequent of watering will help weeds like bluegrass, crabgrass, chickweed, and various sedges, while too little water helps spotted spurge, Bermuda grass, and quackgrass. The balance is about 1 inch of water per week across the lawn. You can measure this by using an empty tuna can!
- Mow higher: Most people mow their lawns too low. Make sure you’re mowing at 2-4 inches so that weeds don’t get access to sunlight.
If you still end up getting weeds, trying hand-pulling them before herbicides. When hand-pulling, it’s important to get all the roots, otherwise the weed can grow right back. To make sure you do this, approach the weed at an angle with a spade or dandelion digger and loosen up the soil around the bottom of the root system. Then pry it up, keeping the roots intact. After it’s all up, smooth the soil and put in some compost, then spread lawn seed to regrow the grass. Make sure it’s moist until the grass is at least an inch high so other weeds don’t grow there!
At this point, if you’re still having weed problems, herbicides may be your only option. Again, many are specific to the weed, so be sure you know what you’re up against before spreading it.
For more information, read this article.
Featured Image by David Cavagnaro
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