Weed Management for Home Lawns
Keeping your Florida lawn weed-free is likely one of your primary goals when it comes to maintaining your lawn’s overall health. With weeds, it can often seem like a never-ending battle to keep them at bay. Fortunately, there are some tricks you can employ to make the job a bit easier.
Read on to learn how to best keep weeds out of your lawn with proper lawn care.
It Starts with Proper Prevention
The best way to avoid weeds is to prevent them from ever taking root in the first place. To do that, you’ll need to keep your lawn as healthy as possible, as a lush, healthy lawn is best able to resist weeds. Follow the correct watering and mowing guidelines for your specific grass variety to keep it looking its best and encourage strong root growth. When your lawn is healthy, its root structure and the shade that the blades create will help to prevent weeds from sprouting up. An unhealthy lawn, on the other hand, may have bare patches, which are incredibly inviting to weeds.
In addition to keeping your lawn as healthy as can be, you can also apply a pre-emergent weed killer. Many varieties of these formulas also include fertilizers for your grass, so you can check off two tasks at once: encouraging lawn health and preventing weeds. Look for a formula that is specifically designed for the types of weeds you most commonly see in your yard. There are many different formulations, depending on your needs, so take the time to choose the correct option.
Once Weeds Have Come In
If weeds have already made their home in your lawn, it is still possible to get rid of them. Do your best to pull weeds out as soon as you notice them, rather than waiting for more to come in and pulling them all at once. The longer you leave weeds in your lawn, the more time they will have to produce seeds and spread to other areas, so it is best to eliminate them as quickly as possible.
When pulling up weeds, take care to ensure you are getting the entire root structure out along with the visible parts of the weed. Any roots left behind can regrow into new weeds, perpetuating the problem. Be sure to pull out any visible weeds before mowing as well, as the spinning action of the mower blades can help the weeds spread their seeds throughout your yard.
Heavier weed infestations may require the use of chemical treatments called post-emergents. However, these can be harsh on your lawn, so you may wish to consult with your gardener or lawn care provider before using them. They also don’t work well during times of drought, so save their use for rainier periods.
For Extreme Scenarios and Problems
If the weed situation in your yard has gotten out of control, you may need to sacrifice some or all of your lawn in order to get rid of them. Smothering is a highly effective method that involves covering your lawn with a thick layer of mulch to block the sun. Without sunlight, weeds won’t be able to grow. Of course, this means that your lawn won’t be able to grow either, but when you clear the mulch, you’ll be starting fresh with weed-free ground, making it much easier to stay on top of any new weeds as they appear.
Because this method essentially kills your lawn along with the weeds, you’ll likely want to keep it as a last resort. You’ll need to regrow your lawn afterwards from seeds, plugs or sod, which can be costly, depending on the size of your lawn.
Bring Your Lawn Back to Health with Fresh Sod
If weeds have damaged your lawn beyond repair, Duda Sod is here to help you find the fresh sod for sale you need to start fresh. We offer a wide range of sod types, including St. Augustine Grass, Bahia Grass, Floratam Grass, Zoysia Grass and more. We’ll work closely with you to help you select the perfect variety for your Florida yard based on your preferences and the weather and shade conditions in your yard. We’ll arrange for the delivery and installation of your new sod as well.