How To Kill Crabgrass
If you only have a few crabgrass plants in your lawn, you can treat them with a ready-to-use product like Scotts® Spot Weed Control – For Lawns. This spray kills listed weeds, including crabgrass, down to the root without harming your lawn, when used as directed. You can also pull crabgrass by hand using a hand trowel or digging knife, but it should be done early in the season before the plants can produce seeds.
How To Smother & Kill Grass Or Weeds
If completely removing grass sounds like too much work, you could cover it instead smothering and killing it in place. Generally speaking, smothering grass is a much slower process than digging it out. That is, unless you cover it and then add raised beds and other ground cover on top right away, before it has a chance to fully die. That is a valid option, though keep in mind the ground surface may settle and sink slightly as it decomposes below. On the other hand, if your goal is to plant things directly in the ground where the grass once was, plan on this process taking several months.
How To Prevent Crabgrass In The Spring
It is far easier to stop crabgrass in the spring before it becomes a nuisance in the summer. Crabgrass seeds can start to germinate in the spring once the soil reaches 55 °F, so crabgrass preventers, like Scotts® Turf Builder® Halts® Crabgrass Preventer with Lawn Food, should be applied in early to mid-spring before the crabgrass starts to develop. If youre also dealing with broadleaf weeds, use Scotts® Turf Builder® Triple Action instead. Not only does it prevent crabgrass for 4 months and feed your lawn, but it also kills weeds like dandelion and clover. Just seeded your lawn? Opt for Scotts® Turf Builder® Triple Action Built For Seeding instead. It protects new grass from crabgrass and other weeds while helping it get established more quickly and grow thicker.
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How Do You Get Moles
When researching how to get rid of moles, your first step is to identify where they come from and what attracts them to your yard. Their main motivation? Food. Moles love to eat earthworms, grubs, and other insects that live deep within your lawn, so you may want to invest in products that can help control these insects. If you cut off the moles food supply, they will lose interest.
Moles may be small, but they cause plenty of damage as they dig through root systems. If you see small mounds of dirt in your yard that look like little volcanoes, those might be molehills. These are entry and exit ways created by moles to lead to their tunnels. Some of these tunnels make three- to 30-inch protrusions or ridges on lawns and in gardens which cause major inconveniences if youre trying to grow flowers, garden vegetables, lawns, and small trees.
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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.
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Can Dollar Weeds Grow Back
Lets say youve managed to get rid of Dollar weeds this time, should you still worry about them?
Well, if youre confident that you got them all, then you shouldnt worry about it in the near future. However, it doesnt mean that you will not deal with them forever.
So, we also have tips for you to prevent Dollar weeds from growing back. Here are some points to remember to protect your turf from Dollar weeds.
You Need To Start Over
You may lovenatural grass and be committed to keeping a natural grass lawn in your yard. However, if your current lawn is riddled with brown spots, overgrown with weeds, or not a drought-tolerant variety, you may need to start over. If this is the case, you will need to kill and remove your current lawn to replace it with a more environmentally friendly option or just some healthy, new sod to get it looking green and welcoming again.
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Whats A Carbon Source
Mushrooms consume carbon and nutrients in the soil. Mostly this comes from dead and dying plant matter like old tree stumps in the lawn. Got an old stump you want to remove?
Plant it with oyster mushroom spores. The oyster mushrooms will break it down and give you something to eat! You can also use shiitake mushroom spores to break it down as well.
How To Get Rid Of Mushrooms On Your Lawn In 6 Steps
1. Remove mushrooms as they appear. Bag the mushrooms and seal the bag to prevent spores from creating new mushrooms
2. Add 1 lb of nitrogen fertilizer for every 1,000 square feet of lawn. Mushrooms are in your lawn feeding on decaying organic matter. Adding nitrogen fertilizer will quicken the decay.
3. Dig up big mushroom clusters and remove any decaying debris. Mushrooms need moisture and lots of carbon sources/decaying wood to live. By removing their food source either by manually digging it up, by adding nitrogen to speed up the decay, or simply waiting for the mushrooms to eat it you will get rid of mushrooms.
4. Kill mushrooms with soap and water. Mix 1 gallon of warm water with 1 tablespoon of dish soap. Use a screwdriver to punch holes in the soil around the mushrooms. Pour in the soapy water which will kill mushroom roots .
5. Add french drains to heavy mushroom areas. Your lawn may be too wet. Mushrooms love moisture and decaying debris. If youve removed the decaying matter you may still need to dry out the lawn a bit.
Before adding french drains double-check that the soil is too moist. Check for rushes and other grasses that prefer to grow in wet soils. If those are present then it makes sense to add drainage otherwise you could dry out your lawn.
Before choosing to wait also check that you dont have any wet spots in the lawn that need drainage. Youll notice these as areas where rushes and other non-ideal grasses like to live.
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The Life Cycle Of A June Bug
Despite their name, June bugs life cycles begin before the summer months, and their adult activity spans from May until the end of July. While June bug season is thought to be in its height during the middle of summer, dying down once late summer ends, the groundwork for an infestation is laid in early spring and late spring.
The cycle begins in late spring and early summer when adult June bugs lay eggs in your lawn. From there, it takes only 18 days for June bug larvae to emerge from these eggs and begin to cause problems long before you ever see them. This is because once hatched, June bugs do not automatically become the adult bugs you see flying through the air on summer nights.
In fact, grubs can spend anywhere from one to three years underground. During this time, they go through molt phases, burrowing deep into the soil during winter and reactivating when weather warms and ground thaws. It is only at the end of this very long life cycle that the scarab family insects reach their adult form and begin menacing you above ground.
What To Plant Instead Of A Lawn
Tallamy suggests removing invasive species, and then plant native plants that support the most insect species, he writes:
“Homeowners in all but the driest areas of the country should plant oaks, Those who want meadows should be sure to have goldenrod, asters, and sunflowers. In general, native plants support the life cycles of 10 to 100 times more insect species than nonnative plants, and a few plants serve as hosts for 10 to 100 times more insects than most other native varieties.”
And here’s another crucial thing to remember: Insecticides kill insects. Profound, I know, I know. But people don’t seem to realize that getting rid of a pesky insect comes with collateral damage: getting rid of the beneficial ones. Amazingly, homeowners use more insecticides per acre than farms do. Ugh.
Pro Tip:
Tallamy talks about planting plants for pollinators, which is something we write about frequently on TreeHugger . He also mentions light pollution, noting that putting motion sensors on security lights and replacing white bulbs with yellow LEDs are both important ways to ensure that insects aren’t suffering under our strange need for illumination.
Which means it’s time to give up the lawn, and turn meadows and pollinator gardens into the new American Dream.
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Try Diy Organic Weed Killers
- Boiling water is a natural way to kill weeds. Heat water to at least 200 degrees and pour directly onto the weeds. This technique of weed prevention may work best with weeds growing in gravel or between paving stones.
- You may be able to prevent, control or kill certain types of weeds using products around your house such as dish soap, epsom salt or apple cider vinegar.
Tip: Be safe. Use a teakettle for boiling, heating and pouring water.
Related Products
Why Is Summer The Best Time To Remove Your Grass
Heres the science behind it. The most effective weed killers for removing bermudagrass contain the active ingredient, glyphosate. This systemic herbicide is absorbed through the leaves and travels to the roots to kill all parts of the plant. This chemical is sold under many different brand name products such as KillzallTM, KleenupTM, TouchdownTM or RoundupTM.
Dont forget, when using any herbicide product, be sure to read and follow label instructions. Glyphosate is a contact, broad-spectrum herbicide that can kill any plant if the chemical comes in contact with the green, leafy parts.
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How To Kill Spurge Weed Naturally
There are two ways to control spurge, i.e., natural control and chemical control. Natural control includes weddings, solarization, and mulch.
Weeding
You should monitor the infested areas of your lawn so that you can pull out new weeds before growing their deep root system and producing seeds. During pulling the weeds, keep attention because the plants may break at the stem, and the leaving root can be the cause of regrowth. Wear gloves while hand pulling the weeds because the sap of the weed can irritate your skin. Spurge weeds grow low to the ground, so mowing is not effective in controlling spurge.
Be sure before planting new plants, you use a sterilized mix or not. Avoid the spotted spurge outbreaks at the time of buying plants. Mulches can help you in this purpose by preventing the sun and light from reaching the roots.
Solarization
Before planting turf and plants on your lawn, its recommendable to follow the solarization method. During the summer, covering your lawn with plastic sheets for four to six weeks. It will help to reduce the number of seeds when the summer temperatures become so high. Solarization can control the weed of these areas where the temperature is not very high.
Mulching
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.
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Cut The Grass With A Rotary Mower
If you cant stand the view of winter grass growing on your lawn, try using a rotary lawn mower to cut it down.
The sucking action of a rotary lawn mower helps to pull the clippings into the bag attached to the mower. As a result, you end up collecting all the cut grass and a majority of the seeds into the bag instead of scattering them across your yard. This will help to significantly reduce the number of winter grass that will grow in your lawn next winter.
Using a rotary lawnmower is only practical if the winter grass infestation has become out of hand and you missed the chance to use pre- and post-emergent herbicides. In the case of a manageable size of winter grass on your lawn, try using a hoe or a hand-held spade to dig them out.
Mow the yard at least twice to make sure you catch all the winter grass and the seeds before the seeds have fallen. Dispatch the waste in a garden bin where it will decompose and die off, instead of the garden bed where the seeds might germinate and start the cycle all over again.
The Problem With Grass Lawns
Many people like to maintain a modest lawn as a place for their kids to play. Or, to serve as a doggy potty. I get that. On the other hand, the majority of grass is not used for those purposes. Our country is obsessed with maintaining excessively huge green lawns simply out of bad habit, and lack of creative vision for something different! According to the National Resources Defense Council, turf grass lawns cover up to 50 MILLION acres of land in the United States alone. And all of that manicured green grass comes with a cost.
Every year across the country, lawns consume nearly 3 trillion gallons of water a year, 200 million gallons of gas , and 70 million pounds of pesticides.
Wow. Pretty nasty, huh? Those pesticides run off into waterways, kill bees, and poison wildlife. The gas used pollutes the air. Think of all that water used! Furthermore, grass takes away valuable habitat space from native wildlife. Sure, a few worms and grubs may enjoy living in a lawn unless it is doused in pesticides, that is. Otherwise grass is a pretty lifeless space.
Now imagine if those 50 million acres of grass were transformed to grow veggies, flowering perennials, edible shrubs, annual flowers, native plants, and fruiting or ornamental trees instead? Those are the building blocks of a diverse and healthy ecosystem right there. Plus, with thoughtful design, organic native and edible landscapes require far less maintenance and resources than grass.
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Next I Bet You Didnt Know That You Could Repurpose Your Dogs Pet Waste To Fight The Battle Against Moles And Voles
Most people dont know this But these critters are deterred by pet waste just as much as humans are, so placing your dogs waste near the entry and exit points of the moles tunnels is a good way to naturally encourage these varmints to infest your neighbors yard and not yours.
Moreover, yet another natural way to fight moles is to strategically install plants throughout the yard that the moles naturally dislike.
Not only could this be an aesthetic way to win the battle but the good news these plants such as Castor bean, Crown imperial, and Narcissus are examples of mole-repelling plants. and are known for being effective for deterring moles and gophers out of your yard.
How To Kill Winter Grass On Your Lawn: A Simple Guide
Winter grass, or otherwise known as Poa annua, is an invasive species of weed that grows during winter. Unlike other grasses on your lawn that go dormant and turn brown during winter, this type of grass thrives in cool temperatures. If left unchecked, it can grow out of control and take over your lawn in as little as two years. The good news is that you can learn how to kill winter grass and keep your lawn looking great all year long.
Winter grass can be killed by applying powerful herbicides to it. You can choose pre-emergent herbicides to kill the seeds before they germinate. In the case of a fully-grown plant, post-emergent herbicides are preferred, but they should be applied before the plant matures and begins to seed.
However, it is crucial to learn which ingredients in the herbicides could be fatal to the grass you actually want growing in your lawn. To learn more about those, as well as a few other safe winter grass elimination methods, read on.
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How To Kill Moss In Lawns
It looks nice and green, but it could be smothering your grass. Learn how to prevent and control moss.
Got the green fuzzies in your yard? You’ve got moss! At first, you might not see it. After all, its green. But when you look more closely, perhaps you notice that shady part of your lawn has turned into fuzz. Moss may look nice on rocks and trees, but in lawns it means trouble. Controlling moss in the lawn starts with understanding why you have moss growing in the first place.
Introduce Milky Spore Disease
Introducing milky spore disease in your lawn will help control the Japanese beetle larva and reduce their population naturally. The disease is applied on the turf as a dust and is very effective in controlling Japanese beetle grubs. As the grubs feed on the roots of the grass, they ingest the bacteria and get infected and die.
To get rid of white grubs in your lawn using milky spore bacteria, apply a tablespoon of the dust spacing four feet apart from each deposit. Do not use a spreader or a garden sprayer to spread. Water the treatment lightly for about 15 minutes.
Milky spore is a great natural treatment for grubs that last long usually providing grub control for even more than 15 years.
However, the results may not be immediate since it takes time for the disease to develop to full effectiveness in the turf. In cooler climates, youll start seeing results after a few seasons.
Once it takes effect, this grub worm fix is very effective and lasts very long, making it great for lawns with recurring instances of grub damage.
The disadvantage of using milky spore is that it only gets rid of Japanese beetle grub worms and not other species. If you have June bugs and May beetles, you might want to use other natural ways of removing them in your lawn.
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