Finally, after all these months, warmer weather is here. With the arrival of summer, it’s time to get your lawn in peak performance!
Weeds can make a beautiful lawn look unsightly. When forming a strategy to control weeds in your lawn, there are three things you need to keep in mind: the type of grass you have, the type of weed you have, and what your control options are.
The Two Weed types…
Broadleaf: in general, there are two types of plant leaves: broadleaf and grassy. Common broadleaf weeds include henbit, dandelion, spurge, and wild onion. These weeds are easy to spot, after all, they’re not a grass, so they must be weeds!
Grassy: these weeds will have a course appearance. They are, however, not as noticeable as broadleaf weeds. Crab grass is one of the most common grassy weeds you’ll find.
Weeds increase their numbers one of two ways… from seed or they sprout from their underground root system. For example, crab grass grows from seed in the spring and matures in summer. Weeds that grow through their underground root system include dandelion and wild onion.
Weed killers…
Pre-emergent: pre-emergent weed killers are designed to prevent weed seeds from germinating. They differ in the kind of weeds they control (broadleaf and grassy) and the length of time the killer remains active.
For summer weeds, like crab grass, apply the pre-emergent killer in the spring when night temperatures are above 50 degrees. You must apply this killer before the weed seeds germinate! To apply the product, simply water it into the ground. Beware, pre-emergents do not discriminate, they will prevent grass seed from sprouting just as effectively as weed seed!
Post-emergent: this weed killer is used after the weeds have emerged. The best time to use a post-emergent killer is on a warm spring day when the weeds are still actively growing.
The best thing you can do is go out and study your lawn. Determine what kind of weeds you have or may have. When you determine which type of weed is infesting your lawn, you can lay out an action plan to restore your lawn to a weed-free masterpiece!
