How to Deal with Lawn Weeds
Category lawnmowers
Many people would love to never have to deal with lawn weeds. While a weed-free lawn is the stuff of dreams, lawn weeds are tenacious and it’s a miracle that any lawn can be weed-free for long. A single dandelion can make 15,000 seeds, all of which can survive for up to six years, ready to pop up in any lawn. Dandelions are just one of the many kinds of weeds that love to infest lawns. While you can use herbicides to get rid of weeds, these can be dangerous to pets, people, and yes, even turf. Another bad thing about herbicides is that you will have to use them a lot unless you deal with whatever problem is causing you to have a lot of weeds.
If you want to control weeds, you need to have a thick, healthy lawn. If your grass is dense then weeds will be crowded out and the sunlight won’t reach their seeds. If you just have a few weeds, then you can probably just change your maintenence routine and be able to get rid of them for good. But even the most stubborn dandelions can be gotten rid of so they don’t come back so don’t despair about your lawn weeds!
Make sure to plan your approach when you are trying to get rid of lawn weeds. Your technique will depend upon the kind of weed you have in your yard. No single tactic will work against all weeds. There are three categories: broadleaf plants, unwanted grasses, and sedges, which are grasslike plants. Most are annuals or perennials. The annuals live one season and the perennials for several years, spreading underground and by seed.
Make sure that you don’t use too much fertilizer but use just enough so that your lawn is healthy. Too much will make certain weeds like crabgrass grow and too little weakens your lawn. When you water, water infrequently and so that the grass roots are soaked. If you water lightly and frequently, you’ll get shallow roots and weeds. Deep soaking will encourage deep roots and strong grass. Mow higher to keep weeds at bay by having stronger grass and learn your weeds. Certain ones point to certain problems. For instance, too dark and damp and you’ll have ground ivy. Hand-weeding is good for small lawns and if you can, pull weeds such as dandelions out by the roots. Use a shovel to loosen the soil then take it out, root and all. Use herbicides as a last resort when all your other efforts have failed.
