Springtime is just around the corner! The grass will soon be green again, and your garden’s flowers will start to bloom. Unfortunately, spring’s arrival also means that some other plants will start to crop up in your lawns and gardens — weeds. Before it gets much warmer, here are some tips for how to nip those pesky weeds in the bud.
Know your weeds. Most of the wide variety of weeds can be divided into two categories: broadleaf and grassy. Broadleaf weeds have wide leaves and are easy to spot. Examples of these include dandelions, wild onion, and chickweed. As their name implies, grassy weeds are less easy to see since they blend in with your turf. Examples of grassy weeds include bluegrass and crabgrass. By identifying the weeds you have, you can learn how to best deal with each type.
Invest in your lawn’s health. Fortunately, keeping your lawn healthy is the first step to keeping weeds at bay. Make sure to keep your grass mowed at its optimal height and water it consistently. When your lawn is healthy, nourished, and properly fertilized, weeds are less of a threat. Our lawn treatment programs can help you ensure that your lawn remains in its best condition.
Weed when it’s wet. The trick is to wait until the ground is a bit damp. If rain isn’t in the forecast, simply use your hose to dampen your soil. Pull up the weed, striving to get the entire root out of the ground. The weed should come up more easily through moist soil. This is generally only worth doing on annual weeds (not perennials, as they may continue to come back despite your efforts).
Mulch. There are plenty of benefits from a fresh layer of mulch, one of which is weed control. To prepare your gardens for spring, apply a fresh layer of mulch that is a couple of inches thick. This can help block sunlight from reaching the weed seeds, which will prevent them from sprouting. You can also find mulch with a weed preventative mixed in to help.
Plant close together. The closer your plants are to one another, the less soil is available for weeds to use. Plus, the leaves from your plants will shade the soil and block sunlight, which prevents photosynthesis in weeds. Still, be sure to follow the recommended guidelines on planting and make note of the size the plant will eventually reach.
Take fast action. Aim to pull up weeds when they’re young. It’s physically easier to pull up a less established root system, and you’re more likely to get the entire root, making it less likely that they’ll reappear.
Apply weed treatments. At Arbor-Nomics, we offer a variety of lawn services and weed control options, and we can help you prevent weeds from appearing in your lawn. Before things start blooming, call us at 770.447.6037 to get on the schedule and preemptively manage your weeds before they can get established.
Springtime will bring lots of new life to your lawn, some of it unwelcome. Use these tricks to keep your weeds at bay so that you can enjoy a beautiful lawn during this year’s warm season.