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It’s a bright and sunny morning, the weather’s great, and you walk out of your front door ready to admire your green and healthy lawn. But what do you see instead – pesky, annoying weeds. How could this happen? You put a lot of time into your lawn care, so why have these foreign plants invaded your lawn? Let’s take a look at some of the things you can do to keep your lawn weed-free.
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What Exactly Are They?
Weeds aren’t really a type of plant. They are just a way of classifying them. Essentially, any plant that is growing where it’s not intended to be is a weed. The most annoying weeds are known for their survival characteristics, which include:
How Weeds Spread
Sometimes, there’s simply nothing you can do about weed growth. You might always have to deal with a few here and there. How you respond to the weeds is important, though. How exactly do they spread? Let’s take a closer look.
Water
Have you ever noticed that you seem to have more weeds after a bad storm – especially hurricanes? That’s because many seeds can float, and heavy rainfall creates flooding, allowing seeds to travel where they otherwise wouldn’t. Once the water settles and the seeds rest on the soil, they’ll grow into those annoying things we call weeds.
Severe flooding will probably cause a larger weed problem than you’re probably used to. So, in those cases, you might want to look into hiring professional help to help you take care of the problem.
Wind
Whenever it gets a little windy outside, you can also expect more weeds than usual. Plants such as milkweed, dandelions, and horseweed, are all great examples of wind causing weed breakouts.
Have you ever blown on a dandelion like it was a birthday candle until the entire white, fluffy ball is gone? Each little piece of that ball of fluff is a seed that can be carried away by the wind. Because of this, dandelions are easily able to repopulate far away from their original location.
Transportation
Cars and bicycles don’t just provide transportation for people – they offer services for weeds too! The next time you ride your bike or go for a drive, there’s a very good chance that seeds are tagging along for a ride on the wheels.
This idea can even be applied to lawn mowers. If you choose to get lawn service from professionals, you’ll want to make sure they are regularly cleaning their equipment. If they mow a lawn with a bunch of weeds and then mow your lawn after, there’s a high chance that the equipment will contaminate your grass with the other person’s weeds.
Us
That’s right! We can sometimes be our own worst enemy when it comes to weeds. Do you know how lice and bed bugs spread? You can think of weeds in the same way.
If you go to a hotel that has bed bugs, they will cling onto your clothes. If you aren’t careful, they can find their way into your own bed when you get home. The next time you’re walking through grass that isn’t your own, the same applies. The seeds can stick to your clothes, and you can track them into your own yard.
Keeping Your Lawn Healthy
Before it’s even time to worry over a couple of weeds that are popping up around your yard, it’s important to first make sure your lawn is as healthy as it can be. A healthy lawn is the key to limiting the number of weeds and making the removal process as easy as possible. Some basic but helpful tips to keep your lawn healthy and fresh include:
How to Get Rid of Weeds
Pull Them
As the first line of defense, you should pull the weed as soon as you see it. If they overrun your lawn, it’ll be too time-consuming to pull them out one at a time. However, if your lawn is already in very good condition, pulling the stray weeds can prevent them from spreading.
Be sure to pull them out by the root completely. Only removing the surface level part of the weed will allow it to come back. The entire plant must be uprooted.
Mulching
Mulching is a great way to suppress weeds in your yard, but this will only word for areas where there is no grass. This makes it an ideal solution for those with gardens as you can spread the mulch around the plants and flowers. If you get biodegradable mulch, you can also benefit from how it provides nutrients for the soil. No weeds and healthier plants? Sounds like the perfect scenario.
Herbicides
While not ideal for all situations, herbicides are best used for aggressive weeds that will easily spread if not taken care of immediately. You obviously don’t want to kill everything when you use herbicides. There’s no point in using it if it also ruins your grass.
That’s why herbicides use a process called selectivity to eliminate the targeted plants while leaving everything else alone. However, there are options available that are nonselective, meaning no plant is safe, so be careful which kind you choose if you are doing it yourself.
Professional Help
Sometimes, professional help is the easiest and most effective thing you can do to protect your lawn. This is especially important if you decide to use herbicides. You can still damage your lawn even when you use herbicides with selectivity. A high dose can lead to harmful results for an otherwise healthy lawn.
If you aren’t sure about how to handle your weed problem, an expert can help you without needing to deal with all the hassle alone.
Considering Turning to an Expert for Your Lawn Care?
Seeing a perfect lawn is a rewarding experience. Whether you do it alone or get assistance from professionals, the end result is a happy homeowner. We hope you found these tips helpful and are all set to master the fight against those annoying weeds!
