Don’t Let Weeds Overtake Your Landscape
For homeowners, weeds are some of the most annoying things to deal with. These undesirable plants pop up in awkward places, and certain types can invade the spaces where you’re growing plants. This can ruin the visual appeal of a landscape, so controlling them is often a top priority for homeowners.
Weed growth can be quite aggressive, so the trick to getting rid of them is to create an environment where they can’t survive. Use the following tips to combat against weeds and keep your landscape in good condition, just in time for the spring season.
Refocus on Lawn Care & Fertilization
Weeds typically pop up in lawns that aren’t getting enough nutrients. Lawns that don’t get enough nutrients start to die out, creating bare spots where weed seeds can plant themselves into your soil.
If you see weeds sprouting up in your yard, this could be a sign that you aren’t taking care of your lawn as well as you could be. Providing good care for your lawn is the best and most efficient way to prevent weeds from growing in your landscape.
Apply lawn fertilizer every 6 weeks or so to make sure your lawn is getting enough nutrients over the course of the year. You can also use our 5 step fertilizer program to make sure your lawn is getting nutrients in the right intervals. In addition, you should be aerating the lawn to ensure that all the nutrients get down to the roots of the grass.
Cover Weeds With Mulch
A great way to control weeds in your landscape is to apply a layer of mulch to places where they grow in. Mulch not only provides insulation for your plants; it also keeps the sun from hitting the undesirable weeds. Without sunlight, it will be much harder for the weeds to germinate, which inhibits their ability to grow.
Not only that, the mulch covers up bare spots in the soil where weed seeds could plant themselves. If the seeds find their way into bare soil, they’ll be able to grow in over time, so blocking up those bare spots will help a lot. Be sure to reapply the mulch in dedicated intervals, because over time it will decompose.
Mow Your Lawn Properly
Another way to keep weeds from spreading is to make careful choices when you’re mowing the lawn. Before you mow the lawn, set the blades on your lawn mower to a suitable height. You want to do this to make sure you aren’t cutting the grass too short, because that will let the weed seeds reach the soil from the air.
Next, make sure your mower’s blades are in good condition to ensure that you don’t do heavy damage to the lawn or soil. These damaged spots are perfect areas for weeds to grow in. Finally, mow your lawn every 1 or 2 weeks to grab any loose weeds that might be lingering around.
Apply a Pre-Emergent
If you don’t have a weed problem in your landscape right now, you can ensure there won’t be one by applying pre-emergent. This handy herbicide has chemicals designed to counteract the germinating process in weeds. If you’re growing a garden, you can apply this to inhibit the growth of future weeds.
It’s important to note, however, that pre-emergents can’t do anything if the weeds have already sprouted. Weeds are prevalent in the spring, so try to apply the chemicals before the end of the winter season. Also, if you want to plant any new flowers, let them grow in a bit before you apply the pre-emergent so they aren’t harmed.
When Removing Weeds, Dig Up the Roots
Even if you use all the tips mentioned above, there’s still a chance you will have to do some weeding by hand. It’s important that you get rid of the weeds while they’re still young so they don’t produce more seeds. When you’re doing this, you should make sure to dig up the entire root attached to the plant.
Some weeds are especially persistent, and if you leave their root systems in the soil there’s a chance they can grow back. By removing the roots from the ground, you’ll cut the weeds from the soil, preventing them from growing back. Try to do this after a shower of rain, because it’s easier to work with soil when it’s wet.
Other Methods for Weed Removal
Besides removing them by hand, there are other methods you can use to remove weeds if they’ve already grown in:
- Cut off the heads to prevent them from spreading seeds
- Cover up desirable plants and apply vinegar to the weeds
- Pour boiling water on the weeds
- Smother them by covering them with newspapers