It's easy to feel sorry for weeds because, after all, they're plants too. In fact, any botany field guide will show you there are numerous nice looking plants classified as weeds. However, a weed can be better defined as a plant that is out of place. Clover is a good example. One homeowner may consider clover in their flowing lawn to be fashionable, whereas another homeowner -- not so much.
You'll find Bentgrass all over golf greens, but if it shows up in someone's yard, it would be considered a weed. Though they may be pretty on their own, weeds are unwelcome in yards because they're usually a different color, size or texture than the grass, thus distracting from the beauty of an otherwise green turf.
In addition, weeds usually drain nutrients from your grass and other plants making this competition for resources a battle that can thin out a potentially lush lawn. Worse still, weeds are battlers, able to withstand conditions your green lawn can't, making weeds just about inevitable!
Successfully dealing with weeds starts with proper identification. The two main classifications of weeds -- grassy and broadleaf -- are broken down into groups such as perennial, biennial, winter and summer annuals which, of course, depict their growing patterns.
Grassy weeds are like grass, but they're unwanted grass, or grass that is growing in a different type of lawn. Examples include crabgrass, annual bluegrass, barnyard grass, creeping bentgrass and foxtail. Broadleaf weeds appear more like what most people consider real weeds. Since they're broad, they're more easily identified. Examples include chickweed, ground ivy, yarrow, knotweed, clover, thistle and, of course, everyone's favorite, dandelions.
Once you have a clear understanding of what's growing in your lawn, you can better treat and control them. You can start controlling your weeds with your lawn care maintenance. If you've been able to maintain a dense and vigorous lawn, you're already dealing with the problem. But weeds are often a sign of underlying problems in the environment beneath your lawn. Thus killing them is just a band-aid solution and doesn't really solve the problem.
For instance, some weeds, such as knotweed, grow where there is compacted soil. You may be able to control their growth by simply taking better care of your grass, rather than focusing on the weeds. Raise or lower the mowing height of your lawn mower, change how often you mow and the time between irrigating. In addition you can increase or decrease the application of fertilizer and aerify the soil. This maintains your grass better and will keep the growth dense and vigorous, which doesn't attract weeds.
There are times when the use of chemicals is needed to control weed growth. In this situation, you can use several types of herbicides. Preemergence herbicides affect germinating seeds. Since it's best to use herbicides 2 - 3 weeks before your seeds start to grow, they work best to deal with annual weeds.
Postmergence herbicides are used after the weeds have sprouted. Since they have to be absorbed through leaves, this type of herbicide works best using a spray. Use them any time, but you'll find they're most effective when weeds are young and still growing.
Selective postmergence herbicides can control annual, biennial and perennial broadleaf weeds, since they won't damage your grass. However, they can kill trees, shrubs and flowers. They must be used in the right conditions as well, with no rain for two days, air in the 60-80 degree range and no wind.
Finally, non-selective postmergence herbicides will kill all types of weeds, and can be used to spot treat grassy weeds that aren't affected by selective herbicides.
Glenn Cutforth is a writer, graphic designer, and webmaster at Lawn and Garden Magic, an oasis of gardening and lawn care information, tips and resources where you will learn everything you need to know about dealing with weeds, Lawn Care, Landscaping, Gardening and much more.
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