DIY: Controlling Weeds in the Lawn
- 1). Grow a vigorous lawn. Start by planting seeds or installing sod of a species adapted to the area. Prepare the soil with lots of organic matter prior to growing a lawn, and keep it well-fed as recommended for the species of grass. A thick carpet of grass blades blocks sunlight that promotes weed seed germination. It also leaves no room for other vegetation to create roots.
- 2). Give the lawn one inch of water a week in one or two deep-soaking sessions. This Old House explains that deep irrigation encourages deep grass roots to develop, which leads to vigorous plant growth. On the contrary, shallow watering quickly leads to dry soil and the emergence of drought-tolerant weeds, such as quackgrass.
- 3). Set the lawn mower to cut the grass at a height of 2 to 4 inches. The taller the grass blades, the better to create conditions that are too shady for weeds to thrive. And the longer the grass blades, the more food they can make for themselves and the stronger they remain.
- 4). Remove weeds as soon as they sprout to prevent a fully developed root system. Garden supply shops sell dandelion diggers and other weed-pulling tools. Their design facilitates reaching under the weed roots to uproot the plant. It's easiest to pull weeds when the ground is moist.
- 5). Patch bald spots in the lawn by applying compost, seeds and keeping the sites irrigated until germination. Weeds quickly take over bare spots in grass areas.
- 6). Treat the lawn with a pre-emergence weed killer two weeks before annual seeds germinate if your lawn has a history of the same weeds sprouting every year. Pre-emergence herbicides are formulated to kill seeds, not the weed plant. Your local climate affects when weeds germinate, but a cooperative extension office can provide its average germination dates.
- 7). Apply a post-emergence herbicide directly to the weed plant. Don't apply these chemicals to the entire lawn. Spray the weed's foliage so the herbicide penetrates it. If you use a granular formula, water grass first to help the granules cling to the leaves on the weeds.
