Get To The Root Of The Matter
Start by dethatching your yard. Thatch is that thick layer of grass clippings and other organic material at the base of your grass. Too much starves your grass of oxygen and nutrients. Shovel out a triangular plug of grass thats a few inches deep. If the thatch layer is up to an inch thick when you press on it, its time to detach. Its best to do this in spring or fall.
Define The Status Of Your Lawn At The Moment
From the very beginning, you need to identify the current situation with your grass and the condition of your lawn.
Grass density The problem in your yard will begin from the moment when you spot first patches of dirt located between the grasses. We can talk about insufficiently watered parts without enough nutrients which will be real weed-magnets in your yard. If you miss solving the problem on time, you can expect this place fills with unwanted weeds.
Thatch A matted layer of grassroots and various dead stuff means that you have some thatch on the surface of the soil. As long as this layer is about a 0.25 to 0.5 inches thick, you dont have any reason to worry about.
The layer of thatch will help with providing organic matter for grass, slowing the evaporation from the soil, protecting grassroots from high heat during summer, and even slowing germination of weeds seed.
However, if this layer is more than 0.5 inches thick, it will probably cause problems including choking out your grass. Also, your lawn wont get enough water during light rain since thatch will absorb all moisture.
Grassroots depth When your grass is weak with shallow roots, it cant reach the necessary nutrients from the soil. Keep in mind that health grass needs at least 6 inches long roots. Otherwise, you can expect weeds spread around.
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A good way to gauge what youre dealing with is to get a DIY kit to test the pH level of your soil. This test is available at most garden centers.
It is important to determine nutrient and pH state of your soil regularly, because grasses do not fare well in acidic soil conditions, says Mbofung-Curtis.
If soil is acidic, with a pH of less than 7, lime can be added to the soil following the manufacturers instructions.
Apply extra-fine limestone to neutralize the acidic patches of soil. Water the area to help disperse, and let it sit for a week, says Mbofung-Curtis.
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Lawn Is Filled With Weeds
When faced with a lawn full of weeds it can seem a daunting task of how to eradicate them successfully.
Whether you have just been too busy in todays hectic world, or you have moved into a new property, its not difficult to bring the lawn under control.
It can take just a simple step-by-step approach.
A simple 10-minute stroll through your lawn to remove weeds by hand is one of the best ways of keeping them under control.
See our video below for a great demonstration.
Seeding As A Form Of Weed Control
The best time to seed is in the early spring, several weeks after any pre-emergent weed treatments that you use such as corn gluten meal.
Start by raking the area to clear debris. Aerating is an optional step if the soil has been compacted by foot traffic.
Next, lay down an inch or so of lawn soil or screened compost. Add grass seed, lightly rake it in to get good even soil contact with the back of a leaf rack, and water.
Regular watering early in the morning and/or late afternoon is important for letting the grass seed germinate properly.
The significance of the aforementioned timing is to prevent peak sunshine from drying it out too quickly and also to prevent it from sitting too long overnight and growing mold.
If you water mid-day a lot of that water will evaporate before it hits the ground, which is pretty inefficient.
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How To Restore Soil Fertility
Good quality soil is the bedrock of a healthy and lush green earth, and if your lawn looks dry and unappealing with yellow-brown patches, chances are that you need to find out how to restore soil fertility and retain it.
For a thriving lawn, its necessary to make sure the soil beneath the grass stays in great shape. Understand that soil is not a lifeless substance. Its alive and made up of organic matter, minerals, microorganisms, air, and water just like you! Its about time you treat it just like you would treat a human being, with care and respect. In return, youll be rewarded with lush greenery that will surround you and your family for years to come. Weve listed a few ways you can restore soil fertility and grow lush green grass in your lawn or backyard!
Your Lawn Is Showing Signs Of Thinning
Grass that is continually cut cannot reseed itself. You have worked hard to attain an attractive lawn but are unable to control what happens to an aging yard. The best solution to treating this problem is core aeration and overseeding. These services will directly support weed control and fertilizing.
Aeration prepares your lawn for overseeding by perforating the soil with small holes to allow water and nutrients to penetrate the grass roots. Our lawn care experts can revive your lawn with these services, preventing the need to spend too much money laying sod. The best time to initiate this service is early fall to late spring.
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Get Rid Of Weeds Asap To Stop The Spread
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If you see a weed, pull it out by hand, making sure to remove the root.
A regular weeding routine for the garden prevents weeds from multiplying and reseeding, says Gladys Mbofung-Curtis, plant scientist for Garden Safe. Applying a layer of mulch also helps stop weeds from growing in the garden. Make sure the mulch is seed-free in order not to introduce new weeds into the garden.
If youre unable to get a good grip on weeds, you can also use a wide range of specially formulated weed killers like Spectracide Weed Stop .
Getting Rid Of Weeds In Lawn Naturally
4.Lawn Aeration
Compacted soil is the enemy of a great lawn. Grassroots struggle to get access to enough oxygen, water, and nutrients down into their roots. Meanwhile, weeds take over.
Invest in one of the many lawn aeration tools available, allowing you to reintroduce airflow and nutrients by creating deep thin holes across your lawn surface.
5. Pull weeds out by hand
Perhaps the most environmentally-friendly way of getting rid of weeds is to pull them out by hand. These weeds can then be left to dry in the sun and used as compost or mulch.
However, its easier said than done when it comes to pulling out all those weeds from a large lawn area. So if youre looking for quicker ways, you may want to try my other suggestions instead.
6.Use a home-made herbicide
Boiling water is by far the simplest natural herbicide you can use to kill your weeds. Simply boil a large pot of water on the stove, then pour it over the leaves and stems of the weeds.
Boiling water doesnt harm the environment and works effectively to burn the weeds. Word of caution: take extra care when carrying the big pot of boiling water as you dont want to burn yourself in the process.
7. Sprinkle cornmeal
Simply sprinkle your lawn with cornmeal to prevent the seeds from germinating. This natural treatment is best done in early spring. Note: dont try this method on your vegetable garden. Otherwise, you wont harvest anything!
8.Cover with mulch
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Preparing Your Lawn For Success
Aside from choosing the best time, you must prepare your lawn for overseeding to work the best.
- Cut your grass short. When mowing your lawn normally, you should only cut it by 1/3 its length. But for overseeding, you want the grass short enough to make sure grass seed can get close to the surface. Try cutting the grass by 2/3 its lengths or cut it down to about 1 ½-inches tall.
- Clear your lawn of clippings. After mowing your lawn, make sure there are no clippings on your yard. These can interfere with new grass seed. Either use a bag on your mower or rake them up afterwards.
- Let air into your yard. You want to then loosen up the soil to improve soil contact with the new seeds. This is also a good time to remove thatch from your yard. Either aerate your lawn or use an iron rake to loosen the turf.
Help My Lawn Is Nothing But Weeds
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Taking care of your lawn is important, and you likely want to ensure that your lawn looks the best that it can. As a homeowner, its something that youre going to take pride in, and this can make it annoying when your lawn seems to be full of weeds.
Some homeowners have such significant lawn issues that it seems like their lawns have more weeds than they do grass. In this situation, you might feel like all is lost, but you dont need to despair.
Keep reading to get important information about how you can turn things around. Youll learn how to effectively get rid of weeds while cultivating the best grass for your lawn that you possibly can.
Getting a beautiful lawn is something that will require effort, but youre going to get good results if you know what needs to be done. Reading on will give you the chance to change things so that you can finally start being proud of your lawn again.
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Tips On Keeping Lawn Weed Free
A fertilized garden full of healthy and dense growth is less likely to get invaded by weeds. Therefore, consider fertilizing your lawn before applying weed control products.
Tip
Fertilize your lawn once in the spring and once in the fall for best results
Like I mentioned before, chemical weed control products only work for a few months, after which weeds will reappear. For longer-lasting results, consider using landscape fabric in areas of the lawn that you dont have any plants or flowers. A landscape fabric blocks the sun from the covered area and prevents weeds for several years.
Here are some quick weed prevention tips:
- Regularly feed to encourage strong growth
- Plant new seed throughout your lawn to keep it dense
- Apply pre-emergent on the soil surface before those weeds start growing
- Mow the grass often
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.
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Types Of Weeds Youll Find In Your Yard
Not all types of weeds are disturbing for your yard. But anyway, if you feel disturbed thats up to you. Generally, youll find Dodder, Red weed, Orange Hawkweed, deer tongue, Bull thistle, Smooth brome, slender rush, spotted knapweed.
Some of them would beautify the yard. The red weed looks gorgeous. Smooth bromes are sometimes used as medicines but those will truly create a disturbance. So, its wise not to thrive them out.
Should You Use Herbicides If Your Lawn Is Nothing But Weeds
Many herbicides are harmful to humans, honey bees, and animals and thus worth avoiding at all costs.
These include neonicotinoids , glyphosate , and others.
If using herbicide will be an important part of your plan, then do your due diligence and research its effects. However, Id strongly suggest that there are other effective measures that have no harmful consequences.
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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.
Select A Proper Herbicide
Next, its time to select the proper weed treatment based on both weed classification and the stage in their life cycle. Pre-emergent herbicides tackle weed issues before they spring up. Post-emergent herbicides target established weeds.
Keep in mind that herbicides can kill whatever plant life they come into contact witheven if the label says otherwiseso handle with care. If your aim is to re-establish your lawn, as we recommend, killing your existing, thinning grass isnt a big deal, since you will need to start fresh anyway.
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How To Restore A Lawn
If you have a lawn that is brown rather than green, you may think its dead and theres nothing you can do to bring it back to life. You need an answer for how to restore a lawn so yours can look healthy again.
When the weather is hot and its been days without rain, our lawns can take a beating. Perhaps weeds have overtaken your lawn, despite your efforts to destroy them or you have spots on your lawn that you cant explain. While it may appear to be a no-win situation, there is hope, and we can help. The great news about seeking advice is that you can know the facts and craft a plan towards a remedy.
Water Reseeded Or Sodded Areas
To maintain adequate moisture until grass seedlings germinate and are well rooted, its important to water reseeded or sodded areas.
Water your lawn adequately early in the morning or evening to avoid dry spells or wet spells, says Mbofung-Curtis. This will help it grow healthy and improve resiliency to pests and future damage.
The top inch of soil of a newly seeded lawn should be kept consistently moistbut not soggy. Once you see grass sprouts, keep the top 2 inches of soil moist until the grass grows high enough to mow. Then return to your regular watering schedule, making sure to soak the soil about 6 to 8 inches so the roots will grow deep and strong.
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How To Bring Your Lawn Back To Life In 5 Simple Steps
Does your lawn look dead and dying or filled with brown grass instead of green? Don’t give up hope quite yet. Chances are there’s still life in that “dead” lawnit’s just calling out for help. You can answer its cry and restore your lawn to lush, living beauty with all-in-one Pennington Lawn Booster and these five easy steps:
Removing Moss From Lawns
You can remove most moss easily with a rake or shovel. If you notice stubborn moss patches remaining or if you prefer to be certain that the moss is gone, an application of lawn moss killer, like ferrous sulfate or potassium soap of fatty acids, will help to kill the moss.
No matter which removal method you choose, be sure to dispose of all the moss when you are finished clearing the area. Any lingering pieces of moss contain spores that are likely to regenerate at a later time, potentially undoing all of your hard work.
Once you have removed the moss, you can treat your soil if need be to ensure that it is fertile, properly moist and of the correct acidity. Then, you may lay down grass seed that is appropriate for your climate type and the conditions of your yard.
References
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