What You’re Up Against
Everything grows well in Florida, including weeds. This can make it difficult to deal with weed problems. As you throw different products at your issue, you can start to feel overwhelmed when things don’t go quite as you planned. When you add to this that some unwanted lawn vegetation isn’t even weeds, it can make your head spin.
What do we mean? Crabgrass can be as frustrating to deal with as weeds, and more difficult to address. You can’t just throw a weed control product at crabgrass. You need to apply a process that gives your turfgrass what it needs, while stunting the growth of the crabgrass.
Top 7 Solutions To Kill Weeds Not Grass
In order to kill weeds without killing your grass, use a herbicide that is designed to target weeds but will leave grass unharmed. There are even formulations that will kill grassy weeds, like crabgrass, without harming your lawn. Once youve killed the weeds in your lawn, use a lawn-safe pre-emergent herbicide or an organic pre-emergent to stop new weeds from sprouting. You can remove weeds naturally by hand pulling them. However, avoid weed killers that contain vinegar and/or salt. These are dangerous to grass.
How To Get Rid Of Nutsedge
If you spot nutsedge early before it has a chance to spread, you can pull it up by hand, taking care to pull up any tubers left in the soil. General selective herbicides designed for most broadleaf weeds and grassy weeds are largely unsuccessful in killing nutsedge. Once the plant emerges, the best way to get rid of nutsedge with a product thats specifically designed to get rid of nutsedge. Look for nutsedge killers that contain Halosulfuron or Sulfentrazone . These products usually contain the chemical halosulfuron.
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Top 10 Weed Killers For Lawns
These products are great for their specific functions and thats why Ive listed them with their most effective use. Using them will get rid of different types of weeds in your lawn and flower beds.
Some are great for large areas, broad-leaf selective removal, and grassy weeds while others are great for people with kids and pets. Not sure what type of weed you have, please refer to our weed identification directory.
Here are the top 10 lawn weed killers with reviews and ratings:
Be Proactive With Your Herbicides
If you are trying to get a jump start on keeping weeds out of your gardens, one thing you can try is a pre-emergent herbicide. Most of your local garden supply stores carry one form of this herbicide or another, though the most popular and effective one to try is prodiamine.
This barrier agent is generally applied as a water-soluble solution that is sprayed over your lawn using a low-pressure setting. Treat your yard with these pre-emergent herbicides at least twice a year. Add once in early springtime and once again at the beginning of fall.
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Homemade Weed Killer Safe For Grass
Corn gluten meal is a safe method to apply a weed killer that will not kill grass. This byproduct of the corn milling process prevents new weeds from forming by inhibiting the weeds from germinating and developing into fully grown plants.
This natural weed killer is not only safe to use around animals, but it also adds nitrogen to your lawn. The chemical is a common element used in fertilizing, which means your grass and other plants will get a little boost to their growth as well.
How To Get Rid Of Crabgrass
To get rid of crabgrass, you can apply a pre-emergent herbicide or crabgrass preventer containing prodiamine or dithiopyr in early spring. Pre-emergent herbicides typically work for about five months, so you may not prevent all the crabgrass seeds in your soil from germinating. Germinating may continue until the end of summer. At that point, you can use a post-emergent crabgrass killer containing quinclorac to kill any existing crabgrass that is growing or emerging in your lawn.
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Use Soaker Hoses To Direct Moisture
If you use a sprinkler to water your garden, open spaces will become an ideal habitat for weeds. Instead, install soaker hoses to deliver targeted moisture only where its needed at the base of your garden plants.
This creates an artificial drought in the rest of the garden and deprives weeds of the moisture they need to thrive.
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Ways To Remove Garden Weeds
- Pull by hand – You may want to use a digging tool to try to get all the roots.
- Herbicide spray – Roundup® is the most popular forkilling weeds at the roots. Spray on the leaves and avoid getting any onyour plants . It will take awhile for the weed to die, but it’s more effective than hand-pullingwhere you may not get all the roots.
Preparing a new planting bed?
Try covering the empty garden bed with black plastic. Leave it on 4to 8 weeks. It won’t let any light or water through ,plus the heat underneath will “cook” any stubborn weeds out. Then removethe plastic and add plants.
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Discourage Lawn Weeds From Taking Over
Whats the best weed killer for lawns? There are actually a number of answers, but the common thread is being proactive. Here are some lawn weed control techniques to prevent weeds from getting a head start in your garden:
- Mulching with bark or wood chips or compost is a great way to smother weed seeds. You can also put down plastic or ground cloth under pathways with wood chips or gravel to prevent grass and weeds from poking through. One of the other benefits of mulching is that you can keep your soil more moist, which helps plants grow in the hot and humid environments in the southern United States.
- Avoid turning your soil in your garden beds, digging only as deeply as you need to plant seeds or bedding plants. By following a no-till method, you will be less likely to encourage new weeds and studies show it helps encourage soil fertility.
- When feeding your lawn, be careful not to over or under fertilize. Too much fertilizer will encourage crabgrass and other weeds, while underfeeding will keep your lawn from being healthy enough to compete with weeds.
- Water garden and lawns deeply but only as often as necessary. Light watering discourages your plants and lawn grasses from sending deep roots into the soil and instead encourages many weeds that have shallow root systems.
What Kinds Of Weeds Are Common In Central Florida
The most common weeds in Central Florida are crabgrass, dandelions, goosegrass, and bull thistle. Our professional lawn care technicians are trained to take care of these specific types of weeds. One way to get rid of these weeds is with an herbicide.
If youre thinking about using herbicides on your lawn you should consult a professional before you spray. Different weeds require different herbicides, and depending on the kind of grass you have the herbicide could kill off your lawn, trees, and plants. But there are preventative measures you can take right now that will discourage weeds from ruining your lawn.
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Using Herbicides To Control Common Florida Weeds
Basically, two types of chemical treatments exist to control the spread of weeds in a Florida landscape: Pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides, and they kill plants as you would expect. Pre-emergent chemical treatments are designed to prevent germination, while post-emergent treatment kills a plant that has already begun to grow.
The University of Florida recommends the use of both types at different times of the year to ensure the most effective weed control. February is typically the month to apply pre-emergent weed treatments throughout Florida. In the southern part of the state, treatment is usually recommended by February 1, while February 15 is the suggested target date for north Florida. However, if winter temperatures reach 65 to 70 degrees for several days in a row, it time to apply the weed killer.
Post-emergent herbicides are at maximum effectiveness when sprayed on young weeds, so its best to keep a close watch on your lawn and treat young weeds as soon as possible. More mature weeds will often require a second or even third treatment.
Chemical Control Of Summer Grass
There are several herbicide sprays on the market that are suitable for managing Summer Grass.
Depending on the maturity of plants and how large an area is affected, it may be necessary for you to spray more than once.
Glyphosate can be effective on Summer Grass, but as a non-selective herbicide it will poison everything it touches, including the lawn. Overspray of glyphosate is especially toxic to Kikuyu and Buffalo lawns.
It is safer to use a selective herbicide. Look for products containing MCPA or the active ingredient oxadiazon.
The Summer Grass plants must be actively growing and not under stress for any herbicide to work properly.
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Weed Control For South Florida
Weed control is a year-round necessity here in the subtropics…the warmweather we enjoy makes our climate a happy place for plants AND weeds.
Weeds rob the soil of nutrients and destroy the clean, healthy look of beautiful landscaping.
No matter how much we work at weed prevention, these persistent and invasive unwanted little plants never give up. Here are basic battle plans for keeping weeds at bay.
Hire A Weed Control Professional
Unfortunately, the days of paying a neighborhood kid a few bucks forsome weeding and lawn mowing are long gone – but we do have otheroptions.
Hire a landscape company that offers a spraying service.
Pest control companies will spray your lawn for weeds and bugs, as an add-on with in-home pest control.
Use a “gardener.”
Ask your yard man if he’ll do some hand-weeding. Or call a small,Mom & Pop landscape company…they’ll usually charge a reasonable rate to weedyour garden areas .
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Does Crabgrass Killer Kill Nutsedge
Usually, weed killers designed for crabgrass and other common weeds are not effective for killing nutsedge. Remember that nutsedge isnt a weed its a perennial plant from the sedge family. Its not a broadleaf weed and not a grassy weed. Choose a product, instead, thats specifically formulated to kill nutsedge in lawns.
Best Weed Killers: Comparison + Rating
In a hurry? Here are the best weed killers weve compared by category:
Syngenta Tenacity Turf Herbicide
- Pre and post-emergent crabgrass killer.
- Kills a lot of other tough grass weeds too
- Destroys weeds to the root.
- Most effective selective crabgrass killer.
- Rainproof within 24 hour
- See results in 7 days.
- Kills crabgrass to the root
- Kills dozens of other weeds as well.
- Does not affect lawn grass.
Syngenta Tenacity Turf Herbicide
- Pre and post-emergent crabgrass killer.
- Kills a lot of other tough grass weeds too
- Destroys weeds to the root.
- Most effective selective crabgrass killer.
- Rainproof within 24 hour
- See results in 7 days.
Celsius
- Kills crabgrass to the root
- Kills dozens of other weeds as well.
- Does not affect lawn grass.
Affiliate links and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on: 2022-09-18
In the table, Ive shown the most important features youll get with each of the top weed killers on the market today. Below, well discuss what to look for when selecting one for your lawn.
Ive also done in-depth reviews of each of these weed killers, so be sure to read the details below.
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Awful Weed #: Common Violet
Look, I don’t want to kill violets. They’re native and they’re cute. The problem is one violet produces hundreds of seedlings in a single year. That’s too much of a good thing.
How to Kill It: You’re gonna hate this, but no weedkiller will touch it. The only way to kill violets is to dig them out, making sure you get all of the tuberous roots. Give yourself an incentive. Every day, dig out as many as you can in the time it takes to consume an adult beverage. Sounds like it’s gonna take years.
How Do I Help My Lawn Recover From Summer
The hot temperatures and harsh conditions associated with summer can take a serious toll on your grass. Between the hot weather, excessive foot traffic, and lack of moisture, chances are your lawn is not in the best shape come fall. Fortunately, it’s possible to pamper your lawn and help it heal in time to handle the cooler temperatures. Follow these tips for a healthy lawn in the fall!
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Common Canadian Weeds & How To Get Rid Of Them
The summer season is in full swing here in Toronto and gardens are blooming beautifully. At the same time, this is excellent weed growing weather, and these unwanted guests are posing risk to your outdoor space. Its not always an easy task figuring out how to rid your outdoor space of weeds, especially since you dont want to damage surrounding plants. Weeds will not only take away vital nutrients from your plants and flowers, but will also make your garden seem less appealing. It is important to know what weeds you may see in your lawn, and how to get rid of them carefully. Below is a list of 7 popular Canadian weeds, and tips on how to get rid of them effectively and long term.
Best Lawn Weeding Tools
Weeding is admittedly one of the most dreaded gardening tasks that we all dislike. While pulling weeds by hand is a back-breaking task, a better alternative is to use a gardening tool. The following weeding tools will make your battle with weeds much easier:
There are two basic types of weeding tools: short-handled and long-handled tools. The short-handled weeding tools require you to work on your knees, while the latter allows you to stand and weed a larger area.
ToolsFor shallow-rooted weeds
I recommend using a short-handles garden hoe or a sharp knife for medium-size weeds. Start by cutting the weeds at slightly below the soil line. Angle the hoe so the tip of the sharp blade touches the soil below the ground surface.
Tools For deep-rooted weeds
Its best to use a weeding tool like a claw weeder. To use this tool, place the tip of the claw blade next to the weeds stem and push down in a vertical motion. The weeder should then be articulated by the foot peddle in order to get the entire root out.
Keep in mind that using claw weeders can be a more time-consuming task than hoes as you need to remove each weed individually. Having said that, the tool works effectively for deep-rooted weeds.
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Reasons Your Lawn Is Full Of Weeds
Starting out, you probably want to know just why weeds have overtaken your grass, so you can prevent it from happening again.
- Poor grass growth: Weeds thrive in thinning grass. The best way to keep weeds out is to have thick, tall, dense grass all over your lawn. If your grass is cut too short, its more susceptible to a full-on weed invasion. Setting your mower to the highest setting can help with this.
- Not enough water: Weeds tend to have robust root systems, and can easily compete with your grass for moisture. If you are not watering your grass enough, the weeds can absorb what water there is, taking it away from your grassroots.
- Compacted soil: If your soil becomes too compacted, whether from excessive foot traffic or poor soil composition, your grassroots wont have access to the nutrients, water, or air they need. This stressed turf makes for an exceptional weed breeding ground.
Awful Weed #: Wisteria
Japanese and Chinese wisteria are absolutely gorgeous in flower. So why do Southerners hate them so? Because these rampant vines smother, strangle, crush, and destroy everything around them. They spread by runners, seeds, and suckers.
How to Kill It: If it’s a small vine, spray it according to label directions with Roundup. If it’s a big one spraying won’t reach, cut through the trunk a foot from the ground and immediately paint the cut surface with Roundup or Brush Killer. Pouring 20% vinegar over the roots may kill a small one, but won’t work on a big one.
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Green Gobbler Vinegar Weed & Grass Killer
BEST ORGANIC- PET-SAFE WEED KILLER
Vinegar is one of the best homemade natural weed killers Ive experienced. From my reviews and tests, this is a very effective spot-treatment for lawns. Be careful not to apply it on the turfgrass youre growing.
- Extremely effective on any weed.
- The 20% acetic acid concentrate destroys weeds FAST.
- Kills crabgrass, quackgrass, clovers, dandelions
- It is safe for pets and kids
- 100% organic eliminates weeds without chemicals
- It is glyphosate-free
- Suitable for broadleaf and grassy weeds
- It will also kill moss in your lawn
List of weeds vinegar kills:Crabgrass, oxalis, clover, chickweed, pigweed, dandelions, quackgrass, and many, many more weeds.
For spot-treating weeds, this 20% natural vinegar weed killer is one of the most effective organic solutions to single instances of weeds. It acts as a post-emergent, so do not expect it to act as a weed preventer.
What I like more about it is that it will get rid of both grassy weeds as well as broad-leaf plants.
Be careful when using this organic weed solution because it can easily destroy any plant it comes into contact with.
If your home has pets and kids that play in the yard, using this vinegar recipe to kill weeds is one of the best ways to guarantee their safety.
Disadvantages of Using Vinegar to Kill Weeds
Affiliate links and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on: 2022-09-18
