Keeping Lawn Weeds Under Control

Homeowners who care about the health and appearance of their lawn never want to see weeds growing there. This isn’t just because lawn weeds are an eyesore, they have an assortment of negative affects on the health of your grass. By understanding the ways that weeds affect your lawn, you can start to wrap your head around why controlling them is so important. Here are some of the ways that lawn weeds cause damage, as well as the best ways to get rid of them for good.

Weeds have their place, but that place is not in your lawn. All weeds are normal plants that usually thrive within their natural habitat, but if they find their way into your grass they can begin to thrive there as well. Some plants that are considered weeds in your own lawn are sometimes intentionally as turf in other parts of the country. If these same plants find their way into your yard they will attempt to spread until your entire lawn has become covered, leaving your grass to dry up and die.

By asking yourself a few questions you can determine if the best strategy for avoiding lawn weeds. Here are some of the most important questions to consider:

How often do you mow your lawn?

Regular mowing helps strengthen your lawn, and strong grass has a much better shot at fighting weeds than unhealthy turf. Mowing frequency isn’t the only step to successful mowing though, your lawn must be mowed both regularly and correctly. This means changing the pattern that you mow your grass in often, as well as adjusting the height of the mower blade when necessary.

Are you comfortable with using chemical treatments in your lawn?

Weeds can be removed manually, but in order to eliminate them completely chemical treatments are preferred. If you aren’t comfortable with using chemical treatments you may have a long road of manual lawn work ahead of you. If manual de-weeding doesn’t fit into your schedule, it may be time to reconsider your stance on herbicides.

If you are against chemicals because of a bad experience you’ve had in the past, chances are the the treatment was applied incorrectly. Pre-emergent herbicides are one of the best ways to fight lawn weeds, but if you miss your window of opportunity for applying them they can have zero affect on your lawn.  Other treatments could cause damage to your grass if applied incorrectly, or if used to fight a type of weed other than what they are designed for. Make sure to do your research before applying chemicals to your lawn, and if you’re overwhelmed by your options it is probably in your best interest to have a lawn care company take control of weed treatments.

What lawn care practices do you perform?

Many homeowners like to focus on the lawn treatments that require the least amount of work, but picking and choosing treatments in this is not good for your lawn. Weeds are more likely to appear in your yard if you skip over important steps, so when your lawn requires fertilization, aeration or reseeding you should schedule the proper treatment right away. It can be hard to know what your lawn needs – by making a lawn care schedule you can stay on top of the best practices for your lawn year round.

Once you’ve started giving your lawn the type of care it requires you won’t have to devote as much time to avoiding and removing weeds. Providing your lawn with the best care on your own can be a challenge, and if you find it is too overwhelming don’t be afraid to reach out to an expert. Many lawn care companies allow you to build a custom package, this way you can continue to perform the tasks that you are comfortable with while professionals take care of the harder work.

TruGreen will gladly visit your property as often as needed between scheduled visits to make any necessary adjustments and to ensure your satisfaction.

Getting Started with TruGreen

  1. Call or fill out the form above to reach a lawn care specialist.
  2. Know the square footage of your yard, as well as any specific areas of concern.
  3. With the help of your specialist, create a customized lawn care plan that meets your lawn’s needs.
  4. Schedule your Healthy Lawn Analysis2 to start your service.