As long as we’re growing lawns and gardens, we’ll always have to deal with weeds. The question is: how? Ideally, it’s best to beat them before they even grow, either through proactive maintenance, or pre-emergent herbicides. By starting these methods in the spring, it’s easy to keep your lawns weed-free!
What is a Weed?
Weeds are wild plants that grow where we don’t want them to. They take root in our lawns or gardens, and outcompete the plants that we want. Many weeds are not native to North America, but have become naturalized in our landscapes. They grow wherever there is a disturbed site, like exposed soil in our garden, freshly ploughed fields, roadside ditches, and lawns.
How To Control Weeds in Your Lawn
- Weeding By Hand: if only a few weeds pop up each year, pulling them by hand is a simple way to control them. But the key is to pull them before they go to seed. One dandelion is not a problem, but if you let the fluffy seeds blow away, one can easily become a dozen.
- Proper Lawn Care: when you have a healthy lawn, you have a dense root mass, which makes it harder for weeds to take root. Keeping grass a bit longer than usual also shades out any seeds before they grow. On the other hand, if you have bare patches and dead spots, you’re basically giving an open invitation to weeds. So proper lawn care is essential.
- Pre-emergent Herbicides: these are one of two main categories of herbicides. They’re designed to get rid of weeds before they emerge. You need to use them in the spring before the weed seeds germinate. The chemicals disrupt germination, eliminating the weeds before they even start to grow.
- Post-emergent Herbicides: these chemicals are designed to kill weeds after they’ve already grown. You only need to spray a little on the weeds that you’re getting rid of, and the powerful chemicals disrupt the life-support systems of those plants.
How To Use Pre-Emergent Herbicides
It’s important to apply them in the early spring from late March to early April. Make sure you cover all of the areas in your lawn evenly. Also, keep in mind that each herbicide is designed to target certain weeds.
So take time to identify the weeds you were dealing with last summer, and research the best product for your lawn.
How To Identify Common Weeds
- Dandelions: often the first plant we learn as a child, this Eurasian wildflower was brought to America by early settlers as a trusted food and medicinal plant. It’s not considered invasive to ecosystems, but commonly appears in gardens and lawns.
- Common Plantain: this broadleaf plant has large oval leaves, and develops a large stem of seeds in the center. You’ve probably seen it many times, but never knew the name. It’s also edible and found its way here from Europe during colonization.
- Creeping Charlie: this perennial herb from the mint family has a reputation for invading lawns. It’s a ground cover with square stems, clover-like leaves, and small purple flowers.
- Clover: you’ll find these native wildflowers in many colors and varieties. They often find their way into lawns or school fields. They don’t spread very quickly and are easy to pull by hand.
- Thistles: there are both native and non-native species of thistles, the latter being the invasive kind. These prickly plants grow deep tap roots and bloom with purple flowers in mid- to late summer.
Early spring is the time to start thinking about weeding. Whether you’re opting for a pre-emergent herbicide, or another proactive strategy, getting a handle on them in the spring is much easier than waiting until they’ve grown and multiplied. If you need more advice on how to deal with weeds, feel free to visit our garden centers!
Platt Hill Nursery is Chicago’s premier garden center and nursery.