Weeds, what is their purpose? They have no real purpose other than invading your yard and disrupting your beautiful grass. We are on the countdown to spring, less than 30 days away! Let’s make it a goal this year to kill every unsightly weed in your lawn. The clock is ticking, so planning as soon as possible is important. There are many things you can do to your lawn to help keep it weed free.

It is important to know that a healthy lawn can fight off weeds a little easier than an unkempt lawn. If you are a DIYer, I have a few suggestions for lawn weed control service tips you can use this year to help keep weeds away from your lawn. If you are hiring professional lawn care services, think about choosing a package with some of these treatments included. 2018 will be the year we tackle our weed problems!

Preemergent

Preemergent is a herbicide that you apply before the weed is able to completely germinate and sprout through the soil. This is preventative weed control method. If the weed has already started growing outside of the soil, the herbicides will not effectively kill the weeds. If you apply the product appropriately in the spring, your lawn will look awesome for the rest of the year!

The time to apply the product is based on germination of the weeds. The weeds will start to germinate when the daily soil temperature reaches 55 degrees Fahrenheit. If you apply the treatment too early, the weeds will not be controlled throughout the whole season. This is why it is important to wait until the weeds begins to germinate to put down the preemergent.

There are products called “weed and feed” that have the herbicide and fertilizer in one treatment that you can apply to your already existing grass. The weed and feed will only be effective during the same period of time. After that, you will have to use regular fertilizer on your lawn.

Post emergent

Unfortunately, there will be some weeds that survive the pre emergent attack. Use post emergent to get rid of the weeds after they pop out through the soil. Be on the lookout for baby weeds as you mow your lawn. It is important to treat the new weeds as soon as possible. It is much easier to kill a weed as it is growing than a fully grown weed.

If you hire a lawn company and they apply a pre emergent herbicide to your lawn in the spring, they should will come apply the post emergent herbicide to any weeds that come up during the summer. Ask your lawn care provider if they have lawn weed control services like this.

Fertilizing

Make sure that the lawn has the nutrients it needs to fight off the weeds. One way make sure your grass is strong is with regular fertilization. Fertilizer gives your lawn the food that it needs to be as healthy as possible. If your grass is lacking nutrients, it will be weak and easily invaded by unwanted weeds. Fertilizer provides your lawn with vital nutrients that may not be provided through your soil naturally.

In order to most effectively add nutrients to your lawn, you or your lawn care company should take a sample of your soil and test it to see which nutrients occur naturally in the soil. Just like with preemergent, when the outside temperature reaches around 55 degrees Fahrenheit, your lawn should be awake and no longer dormant so it is time to fertilize your lawn. It is best to get a few fertilizing treatments in before it gets too hot outside because fertilizer does not work well with high heat. A really great time to fertilize is right after your lawn has been aerated. The cored soil will be able to absorb the nutrients very well.

Aeration

If your lawn is usually the neighborhood football field or you have a lot of foot traffic, add aeration to your lawn weed control service list. Lawn aeration can help with weed prevention. This helps relieve soil compaction. When soil is compacted, the grass roots do not get enough air and water. This may be another cause of a weak lawn. Lawn aeration is a treatment that will remove small plugs of soil from your lawn to relieve compaction. The lack of water and air leads to your grass being unhealthy because it is not getting the food and energy the roots need.

You will especially need to look into aeration if you live in an area with clay soil. Because the bonds in the clay soil are so strong, the soil can become severely compacted quite easily. Along with weed growth, some other sign that your lawn may need to be aerated could be bare spots (where weeds like crabgrass love to grow) and water pooling. Lawn aeration is great for keeping your lawn healthy and preventing weeds!

Seeding or Reseeding

Crabgrass and other weeds like to grow in bare spot in your lawn, seeding and overseeding will fill in the bare spots and thicken the thatch of your lawn, making it hard for weeds to penetrate to the soil. Reseeding will block out the weeds and make your lawn beautiful and appear more lush! It is important to let the seeds grow without harsh chemicals, so avoid putting any herbicides on your lawn for about 60 days after seeding.

EPA Regulated Lawn Care

Little children and family dogs like to hangout in the same place when it gets warm out.. the yard! Crawling on the grass, rolling in the lawn - they just really love it. The products we use are all EPA regulated and kid and pet friendly. If you are looking to protect your furry friend and your kids, be sure to ask your lawn care service provider if they use EPA regulated lawn care treatments.