Terry L. Ettinger Horticulture Consulting Services
Meeting The Needs Of Today With A Vision For The Future
Special Topics
Lawn Care
Spring Weed Control
Gotcha!
I'll bet that when you clicked on the link that brought you to this page, I was going to immediately offer up the magic "weedkiller" that was, once and for all, going to solve all your lawn weed problems, right?
Not gonna happen - because such a product doesn't exist!
Instead, I want you to understand that weeds haven't "overrun" or "taken over" your lawn. Rather, over time their seed has germinated and the resulting seedlings have become established in parts of your lawn that aren't thick and lush.
In other words, the weeds are a visible "symptom" of an underlying condition that's preventing your lawn from growing vigorously.
Maybe
the soil is too wet, to dry, or so compacted that the roots of the
grass plants are literally growing on top of the soil, at left?
Or, it could be that it's too shady, you might be mowing too low, not mowing frequently enough (likely every four or five days when your lawn is growing rapidly in May).
Or maybe you've been applying "weed n' feed" (which, by the way, I never recommend) at the wrong time of year (April or May)?
That's right, despite the pallets of lawn weedkillers lining the aisles of big box stores in the spring, research has shown for many, many years that late September through mid- to late October is the best time to control almost all broadleaf lawn weeds!
Why is this?
First, broadleaf weeds are most susceptible to herbicide applications in early to mid-fall. At the same time, it’s less likely that any “drift” of herbicides onto non-target plants (e.g., vegetables, annual flowers, shrubs, etc.) will cause significant damage. Herbicides applied at this time of year will also kill seedling weeds that germinate in late summer. And, bare spots created as large weeds die will have several months to fill in before more weed seed is dispersed the following May and June.
So, you can join the legions picking up trunkloads of "weed n' feed" when the dandelions are in full bloom - or, you can click on the links at right to download copies of my "Central New York Lawn Care" (102KB .pdf file) and "Recommended Lawn Care Product" (94KB .pdf file) guides and start developing a cost-effective and environmentally-sensitive strategy for defeating lawn weeds for good!
Remember, the first step is to mow, mow and mow some more whenever your lawn is growing rapidly!