Weed Control in Lawns

Unfortunately, weed control in lawns is an ongoing activity that does not end. Even if you give your lawn the best care, you can not control what blows through the air and lands on your property.

Each breeze potentially contains dandelion, milkweed, thistle, and other windborne seeds from great distances. The odds increase when you are surrounded by neglected neighboring yards.

Weeds can be put into two categories: perennials (comes back every year) and annual (live one year and die at first frost.) While perennials may cause more concern, many annuals will drop seed and germinate the following year.

So what do you do?

• Raise the mower blades. Taller grass provides shade to discourage the sprouting of annual weeds like crabgrass.
• Eliminate weedy plants in nearby areas that are likely to spread seeds onto your lawn.
• Create paths through your lawn to cut down on traffic. Compacted soil encourages quackgrass, bindweed, and other weeds that grow in hard-packed soil.
• Fertilize the lawn several times a year. A thicker, healthier lawn will crowd out competing weeds.
• Do not pull weeds out by hand. It’s too labor intensive and not as effective as herbicides.
• Identify the weeds. Then purchase the appropriate herbicide labeled for that weed. Always read labels carefully. All the info you need to know is on the label.
• If you get tired of battling weeds or don’t want to be exposed to pesticides, have a company like TruGreen ChemLawn take care of it. I like how they give a Free Lawn Analysis.

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