Are Your Lawn Weeds Winning?
Getting up the courage to tackle the latest round of little green aliens in your grass? ...What can you use? ...How can you make progress against this nagging problem? The long range solution for combating a lawn weed problem is a healthy lawn and good preventive maintenance. We’ll cover that in another article. Let’s talk about immediate action for a clear and present danger, weeds that are staring you in the face.
This is a rather broad topic and certain basic information must be broken into several categories. That is the best way to get you started in the right direction. You will be able to purchase or make the product of your choice in a short amount of time. Let’s start by covering the fundamentals about lawn weeds, then present your options and plan your attack!
Weeds in your lawn hide. They wait, and then when you are least prepared to deal with them, they arise, already mature and ready to reseed! At least it almost seems that way sometimes! Actually, the weeds may be the same as those in your flower bed, but the way that you can deal with them is more restrictive. Mulch is an effective weed control in non-lawn areas. In an open area, a non-selective weed killer can be used, like Round-up or variations of that. In a lawn, you must be alert to the effect of the weed killer on the grass. Lawn weeds will fall into one of three categories: Broadleaf weeds. These may have large or very tiny leaves, but they generally are rounded shapes, rather than long and slender like grass blades. Dandelions, oxalis, clover, and spurge are common examples. Grassy weeds. As it suggests, these are plants that look like grass, with long slender blades. They may grow upright or lay flat or creep. Some are nuisance weeds to everyone. Some may be a grass variety that one person keeps for a lawn, but it is a weed to someone else. Having Bermuda grass pop up in a fescue lawn is an example.
The triangular shaped stem of nutgrass is very distinctive. The seed-head is quite unique, with the blades spread out like a helicopter, and topped with a substantial mound of seed hulls. Weed killers are available for all these categories. Whether or not they are safe to use on your lawn is another matter. This is why your first step is to be able to determine which category of weed that you have. If you want to put a name with your "favorite" weeds, or just want to be sure what category they are in, check out these resources to identify lawn weeds, and most common weeds. If you plan to purchase a commercial product to kill lawn weeds, take samples with you. You may not get help at a discount store, but a nursery or garden department with professionals will need to see the weed in order to correctly advise you.
Many people simply buy a chemical weed killer, expecting it to be the fastest or easiest way to kill lawn weeds. Others prefer an alternative that they hope will be less toxic or damaging to their yard, the environment or themselves. Let’s look at the options.
Chemicals are handy because they can be made specific to different applications and situations. Some weed killers are non-selective, meaning they kill everything they touch. Some kill only broadleaf weeds. Others kill only grassy weeds. They can kill a single weed, like nut grass. This variety makes them extremely useful for both the homeowner and the profession when those pesky weeds pop up each year. The problem is that people often expect chemicals to be miracle products. People hope to do as little as possible and get fantastic results on all their lawn weeds. Chemical weed killers can play an important part in weed control. Your success depends on being educated. Learn how to select the most appropriate product and use it safely and effectively in this article Using Weed Killer On Lawns.
We have to clarify that there can be a difference between a natural product and an organic product. For the purposes of this article, let’s consider what is available as a commercial product or as a homemade remedy.
Unfortunately, the organic weed killers currently available are non-selective. This means they will also kill the lawn. If lawn weeds have taken over large areas of your lawn, you might have reason to use these products. When removing the weeds will leave bare areas that have to be reseeded, then killing a bit of lawn with overspray may not make a big difference. For individual weeds or patches of weeds, if you choose to spray this type of weed killer, try to isolate the weed with a barrier. Cardboard, plastic, even a soda bottle with the top and bottom cut off can provide protection to spray the lawn weeds and not the grass.
Most natural recipes or formulas use these ingredients, either alone or as a mixture: vinegar, salt, rubbing alcohol, alcohol (liquor), citrus oil (orange or lemon), bleach, soap, boiling water. You may notice that even though these are considered natural, as opposed to a commercial chemical product, things like bleach and rubbing alcohol would certainly be potentially dangerous. All of these suggestions for killing lawn weeds are, again, non-selective. They can kill grass as easily as weeds. There are some situations when they can be used effectively. Read more about Using Homemade Weed Killer On A Lawn. (coming soon) Perhaps this has your curiosity aroused, and you are considering using a natural product to kill weeds in areas other than your lawn. If you would like more details about using vinegar as a weed killer, check out Vinegar, The Weed Killer.
There is one option that is not very popular, but it does work. Have you considered removing the weeds by hand-pulling or using a weeding tool? It is actually worth considering, especially in these situations:
As a word of encouragement, pulling weeds is often the most effective approach for long-term control, since you can get them out by the root. Many lawn weeds can grow back when only the top growth is killed, if the root is mature enough. Though it seems a daunting task at first, you would be surprised what can be accomplished by one or two people. Spend 15-30 minutes each evening and work your way across the yard. Skipping a TV show could be healthier for you and your lawn! To make the job easier, make sure the soil is moist enough to allow the weeds to pull out easily, or for your weeding tool to penetrate the soil. Use an old serrated knife. A steak knife is good, but larger is better. Or get a hand tool with a V-shaped blade. Plan to keep it sharp with a file. Wear gloves, as you get a much better grip. The cotton knit gloves with latex palms are not as hot to wear as some gloves, and they work great! First try pulling on different types of weeds, grabbing them close to the soil. Those with strong stems may pull out easily, with the root. If they break off at ground level, or resist pulling out, then use the knife or weed tool. Slice into the root just below the surface of the ground, and discard the weed. Keep a bucket or bag handy to toss the weed into, to save picking up later which is a chore, or to prevent seeds from falling to the ground if the weed is mature. Other weeding tools are available, even long handled models that allow you to stand up while weeding. You might want to get those only after hearing a recommendation on it. They might sound like a good idea until you try to use it. I personally prefer to just sit and scoot across the yard as I work on an area. Yet, a new tool is worth it, if it gets you outside in the fresh air, and eliminates buying products continually to kill lawn weeds!
These ideas were presented to assist you with killing lawn weeds now. You don’t have to resign yourself to doing this every year, for as long as you have a lawn. This site is designed and being constructed to help people build a lawn that is both beautiful and healthy. A thick, lush lawn on fertile soil that is watered correctly is, by its nature, very resistant to weeds getting started or surviving. Preemergents can help you get to that point by preventing the germination of weed seeds produced the previous season. Mowing and watering correctly will also make a difference. Future articles will deal with all aspects of timely and effective lawn care. Photo Galleries to Identify Lawn Weeds Go to Getting Rid Of Crab Grass Go to Home Made Weed Killer: What To Expect. Go to Vinegar Weed Killer: Recipes & Test Trials. Go to Weed Killer: Selecting & Using Chemical Products.
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Sedges, or nutgrass. These look a bit like grass as you can see in the photo to the right. They have a stiffer, waxy feel compared to other grasses. 
