How to Control Lawn Weeds

Controlling Lawn Weeds

It’s important for homeowners to know how to control lawn weeds. There are thousands upon thousands of plants in nature. Yet, regardless of their value, if they establish themselves in your lawn, they are simply a weed. Lawns, flower gardens, and vegetable gardens are under constant attack from weeds. They find the tiniest of space to dig their roots and expand their presence in your lush, green grass. You can never get rid of them for long. And, they keep coming back year after year. A good Lawn Weed and Feed fertilizer applied once or twice a year is effective against all but the toughest weeds.

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Effective Weed Control

Most of us simply handle weeds in our grass with a Weed and Feed lawn fertilizer application once a year. If applied correctly, at the right time, and with no rain for a day or two after application, this tends to be quite effective on a wide variety of weeds.

Some persistent weeds require stronger and/or repeat applications of weed killers. For this, there are a variety of weed killers that can be mixed in a sprayer and directly applied to problem areas. There are also spray bottles that you can use to spray individual weeds or small areas.

Part of your effective weed control program is a thick and healthy lawn. If your grass is thick, it crowds out some weeds and does not give new weed seeds a chance. So, put your lawn in the best position to beat those weeds. You may even find that on occasion, you can skip an application as your healthy lawn is weed-free!

A few of us go after persistent weeds by hand. There’s that one little dandelion that pops up a couple of weeks after the weed killer was applied. Or, a small patch of ground ivy that resists the weed killer. If you are going to attack a few weeds by hand, make sure to pull out the weed and all of the roots. Take a bag of grass seed with you. Generously sprinkle some grass seed on the spot so new weeds will not be able to take over.

Common Lawn Weeds

While there are countless thousands of weeds that can invade your lawn, several are very common. Here as a few of them:

Clover – We don’t want them in our lawns. So, try them in your salad.

Crabgrass– This plant is found around the world. Once it gets into your lawn, it is hard to control.

Dandelions – These edible, flowering plants are unwanted in our lawns. Also, most gardeners say dandelions are nothing more than a weed in the flower and vegetable garden. However, many famous chefs recognize the culinary value of dandelions. In addition, some vintners make dandelion wine.

Ground Ivy – This perennial vining plant is among the toughest plants and is resistant to most lawn weed killers. It is a very aggressive plant.