Begin With Broadleaf Weeds
The term Broadleaf Weeds is a very broad and general term and covers hundreds of different weed types which can all be successfully killed by Broadleaf herbicides.
Broadleaf herbicides are one of the cheapest weed killers to purchase, as well as being the single herbicide that can kill more weed types than any other. So this is the obvious first choice. Broadleaf herbicides can be purchased from your local nursery or online gardening store.
Purchase and apply a Broadleaf herbicide to the lawn, and allow 2 weeks to see full results. Dont expect all weeds, including Broadleaf weeds, to be killed with a single application.
After 2 weeks check the lawn weeds and look for signs of weeds that have browned-off but havent yet died. The lawn may than require another application of Broadleaf herbicide.
Smother Them With Grass
This step is better off done when the larger weeds are gone, but one of the best ways to get rid of weeds in your lawn is to let the grass outgrow them and deny them space to live!
You can do this by feeding your lawn the right fertilizer I highly recommend the Sunday Lawn Care subscription fertilizer plan.
About The Author
Aaron is the founder of and Essential Home and Garden. He likes to spend his spare time with his family, and doing DIY projects in the home and garden.
How To Restore A Lawn Full Of Weeds
Read our handy guide on how to restore a weedy, patchy lawn to its former glory.
If your lawn is patchy and full of weeds, it will never be the envy of the neighborhood. What youre after is a lush, green lawn with even grass and no dandelions poking their way through. That may sound hard to achieve, but it isnt too difficult if you follow these steps.
If you only have a few pesky weeds punctuating your lawn, you may be able to dig them up by handpaying careful attention to make sure you get them roots and all. But if your lawn is overrun with weeds, you may need to start from scratch. Heres our how-to guide on restoring a lawn full of weeds.
Once your lawn is nice and green, we recommend hiring a professional lawn care company to help you maintain it to keep it weed-free. Our top recommendation goes to industry leader TruGreen.
You May Like: How To Kill Creeping Charlie In Lawn
How To Get Rid Of Weeds In Your Lawn
Many people dream of a lush and green lawn to enjoy all summer long. But often this dream is dashed by weeds popping up between the blades of grass. Occasionally, the weeds can get out of control and overtake a yard. Some people worry about treating a weed crisis because they worry they may accidentally ruin their lawns. While a large number of weeds can be discouraging, there are solutions to kill weeds, not grass. Read on to learn how to kill weeds in your lawn without harming your grass.
What Grass Will Choke Out Weeds
The best grasses for choking out weeds in your lawn depend on your location. If you are planting warm season grass and wish to have a weed-resistant lawn, Bermuda grass is your best choice. It spreads through runners and roots to take over areas, which prevents weeds from getting a toehold.
- Bermuda grass is the best warm-season grass for choking out weeds.
- Kentucky Bluegrass is the top option for battling weeds in cool-season grass lawns.
Kentucky Bluegrass spreads faster than any other cool-season grass. It produces roots that form new plants in both spring and fall, meaning it self-thickens and fills in bare spots. If you want to weedproof your northern lawn, go with KBG.
Also Check: How To Get Clover Out Of My Lawn
Strengthen The Grass With Balanced Fertilizing And Aeration
Establishing a healthy lawn is a crucial step for getting rid of weeds
The growth of weeds can signal a lack of nutrients in your lawn. For example, lesser trefoil and clover will thrive in poorer conditions, whereas grass will become weak. So, if you want less weeds, then it’s a good idea to give your lawn some TLC. Remove as many weeds as possible first, and then apply a healthy dose of a suitable lawn fertilizer, following the instructions on the packet. The best time to do this is generally in late spring, and then again in autumn.
However, for the best results, aerate your lawn a day or so before you fertilize it. Aerating the soil will ensure that the nutrients can make their way deep down into the roots of the grass, increasing uptake. Some people choose to overseed their lawn after aerating too, which helps to establish dense, lush growth.
Aerating is simple just wiggle a garden fork back and forth in the ground in straight lines up and down your plot, or use a specific aerator tool. This process also helps to break up compact soil and improve drainage, which again, is good for lawn health .
Why Should I Remove Weeds On The Lawn
There are several reasons why weeds in the lawn should be removed. Basically, it depends on you, how you want your lawn to look or what regulations are imposed on you regarding lawn care.The most important reason to control weeds in your lawn is that they spread very quickly. Weeds are often more resistant than lawn grasses and will quickly crowd out the grass if you dont take immediate action.
If you do weed removal is part of lawn care because it protects the lawn grass from invaders. So you should definitely include weed removal in your lawn care routine and protect your lawn from uncontrollably growing weeds.
You May Like: Who Makes Greenworks Lawn Mowers
Salt Vinegar And Dish Soap
Do natural weed killers really work? They do if you choose the right ones.
One of the most effective natural weed control methods is a mixture of white vinegar, salt, and liquid dish soap. You can also use apple cider vinegar, if its all you have on hand.
The vinegar contains acetic acid, which, combined with salt, leeches moisture from weeds. The dish soap, meanwhile, is a surfactant, which reduces surface tension on the plants leaves and promotes absorption.
For best results, combine one gallon of white vinegar with one cup of salt and one tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle and apply it to weeds at the warmest, sunniest time of the day. The weeds should wither and brown within hours. Spray weeds as needed to prevent re-emergence.
Lay Down Landscape Fabric
One of the best ways to prevent weeds naturally is to install landscape fabric as a weed barrier. This is especially helpful whenever youre installing a new garden bed or landscape feature. You can purchase rolls of landscape material at your local hardware store. For best results, cover the installed fabric in at least 2 of mulch or stone.
Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Creeping Charlie Without Chemicals
How To Prevent Weeds From Growing
Annual grassy weeds, like crabgrass and foxtail, are easily stopped in spring, when the seeds and tiny seedlings are most vulnerable, so they dont become a problem in summer. Applying a crabgrass preventer, like Scotts® Turf Builder® Halts® Crabgrass Preventer with Lawn Food or Scotts® Halts® Crabgrass & Grassy Weed Preventer , stops listed weeds before they start to grow. Be sure to follow all label directions.
Here are a few other tips for preventing weeds:
How To Get Rid Of Weeds
Learn how to kill weeds in your lawn without killing your grass.
Most lawn weeds are opportunists that take root wherever they can find the space and catch a few rays of sunlight. If you already have a weed problem on your hands but arent sure what types are popping up on your lawn, read about some of the most common types of weeds.
For those of you who are ready to fight the good fight, heres a step-by-step guide that will help you get rid of weeds when they start growing on your lawn.
Don’t Miss: Love My Lawn
Apply Mulch Or Other Ground Covering
Because purslane is a low-growing plant, having a 3-inch barrier of mulch will help prevent it from growing in your garden. Whether you use bark mulch, ornamental rocks, or another ground covering, a good ground covering will go a long way to stop purslane weed growth.
A great addition to any mulching effort is landscape fabric. Lay down landscape fabric before applying any mulch or ground covering you choose. This semi-porous layer allows water and nutrients to reach the soil and feed your garden plants, unlike plastic coverings. Landscape fabric is also an effective barrier that prevents purslane from sprouting.
Use Soil Solarization To Kill Purslane Seeds
Cover areas of your garden where you have recently removed purslane with a black plastic gardening tarp or heavy-duty trash bags. Weigh these down and leave them for 46 weeks.
The sunlight on the black plastic should bring topsoil temperatures up to 150° Fahrenheit, which will kill any purslane seeds present. It will also prevent sunlight from reaching any remaining purslane plants that attempt to resprout. This will prevent a resurgence and help with purslane control in that area.
You May Like: Lowes Cub Cadet Riding Mower
Pry Weeds From Paving With A Weeder
The Telescoping Crack Weeder from Lee Valley Tools removes grass and other weeds from crevices in patios and walkways. The L-shaped stainless-steel blade fits between bricks and other pavers to reach and scrape pesky plants. The aluminum handle adjusts from 28 to 45 in., which means you can weed kneeling or standing.
Pulling Weeds By Hand
Hand plucking is the easiest, cost-free and efficient method to prevent an infestation. Although not as convenient, this is without a doubt also the safest way to enjoy a weed-free lawn. While you may not be very excited about it at first, in time you may find out that this is actually beneficial for both you and your lawn. In fact, hand weeding is considered a stress-relieving activity by many gardeners.
It is important to take those weeds out the moment you see them grow. While it may be hard and it may take you more time, you have to be careful and take the whole weed out, roots and all. This will guarantee the efficiency of this method.
Battling weeds is not your thing?
No worries, get an expert to do the job by typing your postcode below.
Recommended Reading: What Is The Best Way To Kill Weeds In Lawn
How To Kill Weeds Naturally: A Complete Guide
Every homeowner knows the feeling: you walk into your yard ready for some rest and relaxation.
Instead, you see weeds.
Theyre popping up through the cracks in your pavers, invading your garden beds, and rearing their ugly heads in your lawn. Youve tried everything to get rid of weeds forever, and youre starting to get discouraged.
Dont worry, though. Theres hope.
Here at Smiths Pest Management, we provide comprehensive natural weed control as part of our lawn care services to Bay Area homes and businesses, so we know its possible to get rid of weeds with natural deterrents.
In this post, well discuss how to kill weeds naturally, and what steps you can take to get the weed-free outdoor space you want.
Lets dive in.
Lack Of Nutrients In The Lawn Soil
Lawn grass needs more nutrients than lawn weeds. As a result, the lawn grass is weakened and voids are created in the lawn carpet for the weeds to sprout. Gradually, the weeds take over and drive out the lawn grass.
Clover is a type of plant that thrives despite nutrient-poor soil. It can be a sign of nutrient deficiency. This plant spreads especially quickly when other plant species are weakened by insufficient nutrients.
Against nutrient deficiency can help, for example, lawn fertilizer.
Also Check: Violet Killer For Lawns
Will Overseeding Choke Out Weeds
Overseeding your lawn will thicken the grass, helping it resist future weed invasion. However, it is best used on a lawn where the weeds are currently dormant or have recently been killed. Spreading grass seed on a weedy lawn wont do much good. Weeds that are actively growing in your grass will steal water and nutrients from grass seedlings, causing them to struggle and die. For best results, attack lawn weeds with a weed killer, then overseed to create a healthy lawn that prevents weeds from returning.
Identify The Weeds You Have
In order to make a successful game plan, youll need to know just what kind of weeds youre dealing with. Weed treatments are designed to target specific weeds, so what may work on your broadleaf weeds may leave your grass-like weeds A-OK.
Weeds come in multiple categories, either broadleaf, grass-like, or grassy.
Broadleaf
- Common types: Clover, ground ivy, dandelions, chickweed
Grass-like
- Appearance: Similar to grass, with hollow leaves in a triangular or tube shape
- Common types: Nutsedge, wild garlic, wild onion
Grassy
- Appearance: Resembles grass, grows one leaf at a time
- Common types: Foxtail, annual bluegrass, quackgrass, crabgrass
Weeds can be broken down further into categories based on their life cycleannual, biennial, or perennial.
- Annual: Produces seeds during one season only
- Biennial: Produces seeds during two back-to-back seasons
- Perennial: Produces seeds over many seasons
Also Check: When Should You Aerate Your Lawn In Georgia
Natural Ways To Kill Weeds In Grass
So, you just finally got rid of all the persistent weeds that had been gumming up the roots in your garden beds. Everything is looking perfect and things are growing nicely. Theres just one problem: your lawn seems a bit overgrown in places. Not only overgrown, overrun. The weeds are back and theyve found a place that you cant reach without risking your entire lawn… or so they think.
There are a ton of highly-toxic or even carcinogenic weed killers on the market that will absolutely get rid of your weeds and leave your grass intact, but were willing to bet youd rather not resort to such measures. Especially if you or your kids have any plans to walk barefoot through that grass at any point in the spring or summer. So whats the alternative? How do we get rid of the weeds on our lawn naturally without killing the grass? Well, well tell you how.
Why Do People Want A Weed Free Lawn
There are two main reasons why people want to see green grass and not much else on their turf. The first is an emotion reason: they look bad. People dont want yellow heads sticking everywhere from dandelions, painful shrubs growing up from thistles, bunchy short plants growing like clover, and invasive purple eyesores like creeping bellflower spouting up everywhere. Weeds are essentially like acne natural yet unwanted.
The second reason to go weed free is that weeds are invasive by nature they want to grow as much at possible at the expense of other plants around it. Its a dawg eat dawg world when it comes to lawn weeds. Whenever a drop of water, nutrient, or beam of sunlight comes down its a big competition for who gets it. Your grass roots are going head to head with the roots of weeds. If you let nature do its course, unfortunately the weeds will win. They are a yearly problem for millions of homeowners everywhere. Weeds also reproduce much more rapidly than your lawn. A single dandelion can produce up to 200 seeds, which is potential for 200 more dandelions. Your grass cannot thrive so long as weeds are there stealing nutrients from your turf.The only way to have flourishing grass is to minimize the potential for weeds and do it without harming your lawn.
Recommended Reading: Average Cost To Hydroseed
Weed Control In Lawns
Weeds are plants that are growing where theyre not wanted. Weeds can take any form and can vary depending on where they grow. Weeds typically produce large numbers of seeds, assisting their spread. They are often excellent at surviving and reproducing in disturbed environments and are commonly the first species to colonise and dominate in these conditions.
What is a weed?
Weeds are plants that are growing where theyre not wanted. Weeds can take many forms and can vary depending on where they grow. By this definition something we see as a weed may be perfectly fine for others.
For some lawn owners as long as its green its fine is a common statement. But consider this for a moment, most broadleaf weeds are annuals which only grow for part of the year and then set seed. Whilst in small numbers the lawn will cover over these small spots as they die out but as they grow in numbers through seeding the lawn cant fill in these spots and suddenly your lawn is bare, when it isnt covered in weeds.
Weeds are very easily dispersed, so are difficult to eradicate completely. A longer lawn, with a dense growth habit helps in outperforming weeds, while an aerated soil is a much better option than a compacted soil.
Why you need to draw your line early?
In Australia our most common weeds like Bindii and dandelion are Winter annuals, this means they germinate in the soil from around April-June and start setting seeds in mid-Spring.
Diy Weed Control Solutions
Removing weeds manually can be a daunting process if you have a large lawn. It takes time and might not even be as easy as it sounds. But, the weeds need to go regardless of whether you have the time to do it or not.
The good thing is that you can still enjoy the convenience of spraying herbicides without using chemical solutions.
You can use homemade solutions with readily-available items from your pantry, such as:
A Vinegar Salt Mix
Vinegar alone is useful to get rid of weeds on a small lawn. It is even better when mixed with salt and regular dish soap.
This recipe, one-gallon white vinegar, one cup salt, and one tablespoon salt is an example of a homemade weed control mix.
Soap
Chemically, soap contains a significant amount of oil. This oil breaks down the waxy and hairy surface of weeds after spraying. F
or even better results, you can add a few drops of vinegar to help the soap stay on longer and suffocate the leaves.
A Vodka Mix
If you have a bottle of vodka lying in your pantry, you can make use of it to kill weeds in your lawn. You can use one ounce of vodka, two cups of water and a few drops of dish soap to create a weed-control solution.
When using this solution, be careful not to overdo it and risk destroying the plants. Vodka is quick to dry the leaves and might result in more harm than good if overused.
Corn Gluten Meal
This is quite a surprise, right? You can use corn gluten meal to suffocate weeds in your lawn.
Boiling Water
Don’t Miss: Where Are Ariens Mowers Made
