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.
