As there is no one-size-fits-all weed killer, a key element for maintaining your lawn weed-free is being aware of what weeds you’re dealing with — and what condition enabled them to acquire a foothold. This strategy lets you to apply the smallest amount of weed killer at the suitable time to bring about the infestation under control.
Ahead of Germination
Two components are essential for pre-emergent herbicides to be effective: timing and water. You must implement these herbicides in early spring or late winter before weeds emerge and provide the lawn around 1/2 inch of water within 24 hours to push the chemical to the soil. Because pre-emergent herbicides degrade significantly in six to 16 weeks, reapply the herbicide within 60 days. Use pre-emergent herbicides to control annual grasses such as crabgrass, though some pre-emergents can control broadleaf weeds.
Later Weeds Sprout
Apply post-emergent herbicides to a lawn after weeds emerge, however they are still young. When applying these substances, it is ideal to treat only the weedy area rather than the entire lawn. These herbicides fall in to two categories: contact and systemic. Contact herbicides only kill the segment of the plant they touch, whereas systemic chemicals absorb into the plant and cause injury throughout the plant — that is the reason why systemic herbicides are often more effective on perennial weeds.
Destroying Weeds Selectively
Post-emergent herbicides are further divided into two subcategories: selective and nonselective. The distinction is in what they kill. Nonselective herbicides kill any living vegetation; use them only in areas in which that is the desirable effect. Wherever you use this type of weed killer, expect to wait at least two weeks before replanting. Selective weed killers only ruin a specific type of plant, such as broadleaf weeds.
Weed and Feed
Despite the claims of manufacturers which weed-and-feed products will reduce your workload since you can apply two different chemicals at once — it doesn’t always work like that. This is because when your lawn needs fed does not always coincide with when hardened require killing. When using this product, double check the tag to find out if it comprises a pre- or post-emergent herbicide. If it comprises a pre-emergent herbicide, applying it after the weeds emerge will likely be ineffective.
Keep It Healthy
When your lawn is healthy there is minimal demand for grass killers. If you’re dealing with weeds, it’s a sign of specific problems in your lawn. You need to address these conditions, such as soil compaction, inadequate watering and feeding or improper mowing height, for a long term alternative. When you utilize pesticides with no proper maintenance program in place, you simply treat symptoms and not the cause. Until you solve the lawn maintenance complexities, weeds will return annually.