Weed growth is an ugly problem in your lawn as it damages neighbouring plants, looks bad, and attracts pests and diseases.
It makes gardening an ongoing struggle, as the weed multiplies quite fast. Soon, you start spotting it everywhere on the lawn.
In no time, it shatters your dream of sinking your bare feet into soft green grass and walking for several minutes in the morning.
Instead, you will feel the fuzzy weed rubbing against your toes.
Before all this happens, you need to work on weed control.
With our tips on weed control, we will assist you in getting rid of weeds.
Related Blog: 6 Easy Gardening Hacks You’ll Regret Not Knowing
Why Do You Need Weed Contol?
The methods of weed control aim to destroy undesirable plants at the beginning of their life cycle.
Certain specific herbicides for paddocks, turf, lawns, and grassed areas attack weeds before they sprout, acting as a preventative measure against their expansion.
You can call it pre-emergent weed control.
What is Pre-emergent Weed Control?
Pre-emergent herbicides are unique in that they promote weed control from germination.
They stop them from growing into adult plants. By using them for weed control before the weeds sprout, you can create a strong defence system for your turf and lawns, guaranteeing a weed-free, lush green lawn.
Learn More: Natural Solutions for an Attractive Lawn: Organic Lawn Care 101
Differentiating Among Lawn Weed Types
Weeds are defined as grass growing in a flower bed or flowers growing in a lawn.
These are unwanted and kill the curb appeal of your lawn.
There are the categories of weeds:
Dandelions: Many people consider dandelions flowers. In actuality, they are weeds as they disturb an existing habitat. It’s hard for plants to survive in the presence of dandelions. So, to protect your existing plants, you need to take preventive measures used in weed control.
Broadleaf: Similarly, weeds are not just grass. They can have wide leaves. For instance, as broadleaf matures, it changes into a fibrous cluster that is often unwanted in the lawn.
Grassy: Grass, such as crabgrass, is a weed that grows in dry and hot conditions. It sprawls annually in the garden and grows until you kill them using a weed control method.
Wild Vegetables: Wild onions and garlic are also weeds. Even if you like kitchen gardening, don’t think about leaving these invasive plants alone. Or else they will ruin your favourite plants.
There are weed seeds in practically every garden and lawn, and they can increase through several means. So, weed control is an important step in lawn care routine.
Since weed seeds need to reach the soil’s surface and get the right quantity of moisture and sunlight before they germinate and start to grow, many of them stay dormant for years.
Categories of Lawn Weed
Weeds are divided into three primary categories:
Annuals: Typically, annuals grow, yield seeds, and then die in a single year. Certain annuals may survive a second year in warmer regions. Annual weeds are typically the easiest to eradicate.
Biennials: Two years pass between biennials. In biennial plants, the first year is devoted to vegetative growth, while the second is spent on blooming and seed production.
Perennials: Seasons change, and perennials produce seeds annually. They live longer than the previous two categories.
Weed Control Methods
Here are some techniques that work excellently for weed control:
1. Cover Them with Mulch
Mulch, which can be made from wood chips, shredded leaves, brown cardboard, or straw, covers the soil surrounding your plants.
This layer keeps moisture in, prevents growth beneath it, and blocks sunlight so that weed seeds cannot germinate. Mulch also moderates soil temperatures and releases essential nutrients as it breaks down.
To stop weed growth, apply a layer of mulch to the soil between your plants and along the rows. We advise a coating that is at least one inch thick.
Mulch should be kept a few inches away from your plants’ bases to deter pests and stop decay.
There are inorganic mulches like rubber and landscape cloth, in addition to biological mulches like straw, which we utilize.
If you want to know how much mulch you want for your lawn, we have done the research in How Many Bags of Mulch in a Yard: Estimating Yard of Mulch?
2. Pull the Weeds Manually
The safest, most selective, and ecologically friendly method for weed control is pulling undesired plants by hand or with gardening tools.
Dealing with weeds as soon as they appear is the most effective strategy to eradicate them in this way.
It’s usually easier to handle the chore right away after rain. Pull the weed close to the base to remove as much of its root as possible.
How To Do It
- For larger weeds with extensive roots, such as dandelions and thistles, a garden fork, slender trowel, or other portable weeding tool should be used.
- Make the hole as tiny as possible. Insert the tool’s end deeply into the earth, near the base of the weed.
- Tighten the earth around it.
- Pull out the entire root by grabbing the weed beneath its crown.
3. Expose them to the Sun
Solarizing is effective weed control. It simply exposes them to a hot climate.
This method is as simple as placing a thick plastic sheet over an area and allowing heat to build up beneath the sheets, drying and browning the weed.
Solarization should take four to six weeks to start destroying weeds. But before you can use this method in the garden, you need to find out how to cover weeds.
4. Irrigate & Fertilize Efficiently
Fertilizing your garden or lawn and giving it attentive irrigation is another way for weed control.
Fertilize the plant solely where it is planted, and water or rinse the plant only at its roots. Don’t water any bare patches in your garden or apply fertilizer recklessly because there may be harmful weeds growing here.
To learn about the right fertilizer, go through our guide on fertilizer numbers.
5. Dispose of Weed Carefully
Safe weed disposal is essential in a space where weed control is your aim. The parts you remove can sprout a variety of plants.
There are several ways to get rid of weeds, like mulching, deep burying, or placing them in a plastic bag and letting them sit in the sunshine until they become dead.
Certain plants, like those that readily generate new growth from their roots or stems, should not be composted.
This comprises:
- The ginger convolvulus that creeps up buttercup ivy
- If you are not certain that bulbs and seed heads won’t grow again, don’t compost them.
- Disposing of yard debris near a green belt is never a good idea since it can propagate weeds.
6. Crowding
It takes room for weeds to spread across your garden.
You can crowd out weeds using dense lawn cover to prevent them from having enough space to grow.
Additionally, add ground cover or other dense plantings to your garden to keep weeds out of your grass and make weed removal easier and less stressful.
7. Frame Weeding
If you’re still wondering how to get rid of weeds efficiently, frame weeders are a novel approach you can take on your project.
This method works well for weed control in your garden or yard. It entails using a flame weeder, a type of pointer attached to a propane tank that allows you to burn the weed by passing a flame over it.
To be effective, you must repeat this process multiple times, as it will not entirely destroy the weed root.
Burning weeds is an environmentally safe, chemical-free weed control method. So, you don’t need to feel guilty for doing it.
8. Work With Water
There are three methods that involve water and can help with weed control.
Use Boiling Water
This is one of the most convenient methods for weed control.
To burn weeds in your yard or lawn, boil water in a kettle and pour it over the weeds.
You can use this technique in your grass cracks or along your garden walks.
Water Selectively
This is another method for weed control.
You need to cover a drip hose with mulch to cut off the moisture supply weeds require to thrive.
By nourishing your deeply rooted plants and keeping most weeds away from their shallow roots, germination is stopped.
Before applying this treatment, make sure the area is free of any deeply rooted weeds.
Deep Watering
Watering deeply to ensure that the water is absorbed into the soil deeper than the weeds can reach. This is because weed roots do not grow as deeply as grassroots.
9. Use Herbicide Before Emergence
Spreading some pre-emergent herbicides throughout the grass in the early spring is undoubtedly worthwhile because they are kinder to your lawn than post-emergent weed killers.
During the growing season, before the seeds have a chance to germinate, weed and feed formulations, a type of fertilizer, are also included in several pre-emergent recipes.
They provide vital nutrients to your grass, strengthening it against exotic plants and other problems, such as pests and disease.
Remind yourself that pre-emergents prevent seeds from sprouting, so if you want to reseed your grass, you’ll need to wait a few weeks after pre-emergent weed control treatment.
New grass seeds will not sprout if you apply pre-emergent herbicide and seeds simultaneously.
Moreover, herbicides can be either non- or selective.
Both varieties have potent herbicides.
Depending on your goals and whether the weeds are close to attractive plants, the type you employ will vary.
A lawn weed killer made especially for broadleaf weed control eradicates the weeds without harming the established lawn they are growing in.
Since the grass wouldn’t have had time to fully establish itself, young, freshly sown grass would still be vulnerable to the herbicide.
Herbicides that are not selective kill any and all plants that they come into touch with.
When applied nonselectively, weed killers kill clover growing on a lawn and any nearby grass. Because of this property, nonselective herbicides can be the most effective weed and grass killers.
Learn More: Lawn Food vs Fertilizer: What Does Your Lawn Need?
10. Stop Mowing Your Lawn Too Short
If your grass is too short, its roots won’t grow strong and properly. Additionally, the soil will receive more sunlight, which could lead to undesired seeds sprouting.
Don’t mow your lawn any shorter than 2.5 inches to maintain its optimal condition and for weed control. Strong roots and healthy grass are essential for preventing weeds.
FAQs
Why is weed control important?
Keeping gardens, farms, and landscapes healthy and productive requires effective weed control. In addition to lowering crop production, weeds can attract pests and diseases and detract from the visual appeal of outdoor areas.
What are the various techniques for weed control?
Mechanical (hand pulling, hoeing, tilling), cultural (mulching, proper planting spacing, crop rotation), chemical (herbicides), and biological (introducing natural enemies of weeds) are the four categories of weed control techniques.
Is it safe to use pre-emergent weed control?
Many herbicides are regarded as safe for the environment and human health when used as directed on the label.
How do I keep the weeds in my garden from growing?
Regular weeding, appropriate mulching, and soil fertility maintenance can prevent weeds from growing and spreading in gardens. Furthermore, proper hygiene can decrease weed populations.
Summary
With these weed control methods, you can bid farewell to the never-ending struggle that involves getting rid of weeds.
Protect your outdoor areas by preventing weeds before they start growing by getting in touch with a professional.
They have a better understanding of weeds, so they use the right techniques to tackle the issue on your lawn.