When the weather is cold and windy, you likely would rather stay bundled up inside rather than go outside to treat your lawn for weeds. However, in the winter months is one of the best times to do so in order to prevent weeds from popping up in the spring. If you want a beautiful lawn come April, try these tips for preventing weeds:
- Healthy grass: Weeds grow especially quickly in acidic soil, which is a sign of an unhealthy lawn. Start giving your lawn extra nutrients now, or contact us – we know just what tests to conduct to find out what specific nutrients your soil is lacking.
- Taller is better: Did you know that more weeds may pop up in your lawn if the grass blades are cut super short? This is because the seeds from weeds can fall and make their way to the soil quicker if the grass is shorter. Additionally, shorter grass provides less shade and more sun to the soil. We’re not suggesting that you have five-foot stalks of grass in your yard, but letting your lawn grow a little higher can prevent those weeds from taking root.
- Mulch: Just as taller grass acts as a light barrier, so does mulch. Natural and organic mulches such as bark, processed wood, leaf mulch or even newspaper can act to shield out sunlight from the weed seeds as well as add good nutrients to the soil.
- Dense planting: Crowd out the weeds! If you plant various flowers or keep a large vegetable garden, it will take up space in the soil, leaving less room for weeds and preventing them. Perhaps it seems like a too-good-to-be-true, easy solution, but farmers have been utilizing this trick for hundreds of years. Plus sides: a beautiful, sweet-smelling flower garden will add pops of attractive color and a lush vegetable garden will produce fresh food for the table.
Of course sometimes weeds will simply pop up anyway, even if you take many measures to prevent them. If that happens, use the following tips to effectively eliminate them:
- Dampen the soil: In the winter, your soil is going to be stiffer and drier than normal. Weeds are hard to pull out from soil in this condition. Grab a spray bottle or a hose when you’re planning a weeding session. Or, you can wait until right after it rains.
- Head them off at the roots: Be sure to try the best you can to remove the weeds straight from the root. Weed roots can spread underground and produce weeds in the same place and all around the original weed.
- Find your method: You can try pulling the weeds with two hands, but if that is too much for you physically, try a hand fork. They are great to use for clumps in the lawn.
At AWP Services, we know lawn care. Our services include soil testing, winter overseeding, aeration and using professional grade products to ensure your lawn is weed-free and as green as it can be. Please click below to contact us today!