Did you spot a dandelion in your lawn? Don’t fret. Grab a paper and pen to take notes with and keep reading on! Every lawn would be a paradise if it were not for weeds. Weeds are usually an indication of an unhealthy lawn cause by poor lawn care practices. You need not despair. Here are three different ways to help control your weeds.
Keep your lawn grass healthy and at an appropriate height.The best way to keep those weeds away is to have a thick, healthy turf. When your intended grass is healthy and robust, they will naturally outgrow and eventually displace weeds. You can keep your lawn healthy by proper watering, regular fertilizing, and mowing it just at the right height.
We at Sea of Green Lawn Care located in Fairfield and Vacaville CA see it very often that folks water their lawn every day for a few minutes…this does more harm than good. It causes the grass roots to migrate to the surface to absorb the water. And with the roots near the surface, they can easily dry out.
The proper way to water is to deep water your lawn. The average lawn only needs 1 inch of water a week. 1 inch of water can penetrate down to 16 inches of soil. If you’re not quite sure how long to keep your sprinkler running, next time you open a 5oz can of tuna or chicken, save it! You can use it to help you determine what an inch of water is. Stick that bad boy in the middle of your lawn and time how long it takes to fill up.
Did you know that nitrogen escapes from the soil? To maintain a healthy lawn, you will need to replace it. We at Sea of Green only use organic turf fertilizer. Sure it takes a little longer than the synthetic fertilizer to see results, but you’re not burning the grass, harming your pets, or children who might be playing outside. As a bonus, it also feeds your lawn with yummy nutrients longer periods of time.
Do you have yellow patchy grass? Sorry to tell you this, but you’re probably cutting your grass to short. Most homeowners do this because they believe that it looks better. In the long run, you’re just decreasing the value of your home. Grass cut too short cannot manufacture enough food. It also welcomes weed growth because the grass cannot kill weed seeds by “shading them out.”
NOTE: Cool season grass should not be shorter than 2 inches. Warm season grass should not be shorter than 1 ¼ inches. Grass should not be mowed no more than the upper third of the blade at any given time.
Use weed killer or removal products.When the weeds are especially stubborn for the grasses to handle, it may be necessary to use weed killers. Most people just yank out the weeds whenever they appear. However, oftentimes you yank the grass along with the weeds. In most cases then, the use of weed removal products may be in order.
There are two types of chemical weed killers:
Pre-emergence, which kills germinating seeds and tiny weed seedlings before the weeds become established.Post-emergence, this is applied after the weeds have sprouted and begun to grow.Want to go the organic herbicide route? Try corn gluten meal. It’s completely safe with your pets and children running around and as an added bonus, it acts as a slow release nitrogen fertilizer. Apply in the spring and fall at 20 pounds per 1,000 sq. ft. It will kill germinating weed seeds, but note that it will kill new grass seeds as well.
Replant your lawn.When the weeds clearly outnumber the intended grass, removing the weeds would only create a bare ground which is conducive to the growth of more weeds. In this case, the only option would be to replant your lawn with high-quality grass seed or new sod if you cannot bare to see your lawn covered in hay (it’s to keep the birds from eating your grass seeds!)
Once your lawn is teeming with the right grass, you can then go back to the steps above – that is, keep your grasses healthy and take control of weeds as they pop up.
Contact Sea of Green Lawn Care located in Vacaville and Fairfield CA and we will help you with your needs regarding weed control! 707 816 9401
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