Lawn Weeds
A Few Basic Tips for Getting Rid of Lawn Weeds
You walk into your spring lawn, and are less than thrilled to see lawn weeds growing much better than your grass is. This season of the year is a good time to use the kind of weed-killers that kill from the root of the weed.
You may think that it's just as easy to mow weeds, right? But lawn weeds use nutrients that you want your grass to have access to, and they overlap into your lawn's root system. When you mow them, you may also be spreading them by scattering their parts over the rest of your lawn, if you're not bagging.
Many lawn weeds fight being mowed down by coming back and growing into wider plants, and then they will compete for even more of the space you want your grass roots to use. If you mow a very weedy lawn, it generally looks like mowed weeds when you're done. The seeds of the weeds are always waiting to spring to life, so if you can treat your lawn before you see them, you are money ahead.
If the weeds don't have a hold on your lawn yet, you can mow often so that the grass you're growing can help to choke the lawn weeds you want out. Keep your lawn mowed at regular intervals, and set your mower to the correct height. If you mow too short or not short enough, you may end up with more weed growth instead of less.
Another natural method of controlling weeds in your lawn is to use a weed removal tool or to hand-pull the lawn weeds out, including the root. The pulling method seems to work in a positive way for weeds like crabgrass that are otherwise very persistent.
It's easier to control weeds by treating for them before you even plant your grass. But if your lawn is already growing and the weeds are too, there are a few things you can do to cut back on your lawn weeds, so they don't completely take over.
Compacted wet or dry soil is a wonderful home – for weeds. Your grass has trouble growing in compacted soil, and the weeds don't.
Check the fertility of your soil, too. Weeds prosper in under-fertilized soils where grass has a harder time growing.
Practice good maintenance of your lawn. Stay on top of weeds. Treat before you plant your grass, or aggressively in the spring before the lawn weeds pop up.
A lawn with no weeds is a pipe dream for most home-owners, unless you can afford to have an expensive garden service or landscaper come to treat your lawn. For many of us, that's not economically feasible. One dandelion makes nearly fifteen thousand seeds, and each seed can live for six years in your lawn. It's amazing that anyone is successful in eliminating lawn weeds.
Treat early, mow at regular intervals and keep your grass mowed at regular heights. This will help destroy as many lawn weeds as you humanly can.