How To Kill Weeds In Lawns – 7 Easy Tactics

A beautiful lawn is a showcase of your art. All year we wait for lush green grass to walk not for coarse or fuzzy weeds. Weeds’ growth is more and rapid as compared to grasses.

It feels like sick crabgrass, dandelions, and other weeds growing in your lawn. Every house owner hates this repulsive gate-crasher.

Every hiccup has a medicine so every weed has a treatment. It is not difficult to get rid of these weeds. Here are 7 simple tactics to follow from Lawn Care Guides.

1. Prevention is better than cure

Some lawn owners think that grass has a separate growth phenomenon as compared to other plants. Like other plants, grasses also stand better on a healthy base.

Grasses attain a specific height where they have a lush appearance. If you cut before that height or above that height, weeds can overlap their growth.

Grass should be watered properly and fertilized for competence with weeds. Like other plants or grasses, weeds need a special temperature for germination.

Taller grasses shade ground surface and retard seed germination by disturbance of temperature. Even if weed germinates it will not attain hardy growth due to the unavailability of sunlight.

Warm Season Grasses

Cool Season Grasses

If you are a small gardener, focus on seed purity. Never mix weed seeds with flower or vegetable seeds. Screen out weeds before sowing. Keep eyes on the single emerging spot and pull it out.

Compact soil,water-deprived grass or turf, and low mowed grasses enhance the growth of weeds. The first step is to reverse all these problems for a healthy lawn.

2. Identify the Type of weed

Correct diagnoses lead to correct treatment. Crabgrass or dandelions are not only to infect your lawn. There are hundreds of other weeds that appear in lawns with any type of grass. Here are some common weeds.

Crabgrass

Crabgrass is an annual weed of lawn that appears in warm temperatures. It invades undernourished lawns. Crabgrass has a specific germination phenomenon. It appears as a ground-hugging weed in summer. As summer ends, crabgrass will produce a lot of seeds that sprout at a favorable temperature according to climate.

Crabgrass can be controlled with thick and 3 inches long grass type. Taller grass provides bottom or base shade. Crabgrass can not germinate in cooler conditions.

Dandelions

SO meet with the most beautiful weed of lawn. Beautiful things should be pulled out from the most beautiful lush green areas. Like Crabgrass, dandelion also appears in a week and poorly nourished lawns. Dandelions have very small seeds that can easily spread with air.

Overseeding is an effective and chemical-free method. Overseeding will not allow space for the growth of Dandelions. Use grass cuttings as mulch.

Moss

Moss has specialized spores that help to spread out. It appears in acidic soils. The best solution to remove moss from the lawn is ” manual removal”.For physical removal use rake for hard rake and dress tested area with compost.

Spray 4-ounce dish wash in one gallon of water for quick removal.

White Clover

As the name is an indication, white clover has whitish flowers in the mature stage. It is the cool season weed of Europe and Asia. It belongs to the legume family so it helps in Nitrogen fixation. White clover is also known as Dutch clover. There are very rare chemicals for the control of white clover.

Use any pre-emergence herbicide for weed removal. Hand pulling is also effective against white clover. I want to apply chemicals then wide leaves herbicides are effective against weed.

2. Block Sunlight

The blockage of sunlight is the most effective and chemical-free method for the control of lawn weeds. There are a few applications to follow for the process.

Grow Tall grasses: Some tall grasses provide shade to the base which hinders the growth of weeds. Weeds can not germinate in cool conditions.

Mulching: Cover the Lawn surface with mulch or straw for sunlight blockage. You can spread cuttings of grass in open space.

3. Organic Control of Weeds

There are some organic herbicides available in the market. Organic herbicides are eco-friendly. If you have pets on the lawn or want to keep beneficial insects, apply these organic herbicides for the control of weeds.

Vinegar and Dish soap to kill weeds

This weedicide is effective against all weeds. Mix dish soap and vinegar. Add a little amount of salt to the solution. Apply this solution it will dry them within a week.

Sugar and Citrus Juice to kill weeds

The application of sugar will hinder the availability of Nitrogen. Sugar application is a basic control method.

Citrus juice strips membrane of stems. Citrus has acidic behavior, it will eat away the coating of weeds. Sometimes regular applications are more effective because roots can survive.

It is better to prepare by using citrus juice and vinegar. Add 4 ounces citrus juice and quart vinegar for preparation.

Application of Cornmeal to kill weeds

Cornmeal works as a preventive. Apply cornmeal prior to germination. Cornmeal competes for nutrient availability of weeds. Oil coating on cornmeal hinders the germination of weeds.

Use Newspaper to kill weeds

Smothering weeds is an ancient and handy method. Use old newspapers to cover weeds. The newspaper will make a thick layer on weeds and prevent sunlight. Wet the soil and then lay down newspaper. Apply mulch on it for earthworms to stay.

Salt to kill weeds

It is the cheapest and effective method for the control of weeds. Everybody has regular table salt at home. Apply just a pinch in the root point where needed. Make sure you are applying in space or in weed roots. Apply continuously for some days.

Baking Soda and Bleach to kill weeds

Apply baking soda in spaces. Baking soda is available easily. Sodium content in baking soda will dry out weeds. Apply the required amount in specific portions.

Use bleach if you do not have pets at the home. Bleach will coat the membrane of weeds and quickly make them dry.

4. Manual Pulling

If you are vigilant, follow this ancient method for weed control. No chemicals, no tool, and no precautions are required for hand pulling. However dedicated gloves are available in the market to prevent post spreading.

Make sure you know about the types of weeds and grass extensions. Water the lawn before pulling. Make sure you can move in easily.

Some tools like sharp trowels or claws can help you in pulling. Make sure to pull it out with roots.

5. Cut their tops

Many weed cutter works in a balanced flow. Weeds attain a specific height and develop their seed bags on top.

Remove heads of weeds with any tool. Removal of heads will prevent the spread of seeds. Now you can apply any organic method for main plant removal.

6. Edging

Retaining walls and lawn edging are physical barriers to controlling weeds. If you do not want to purchase edging, prepare at home. Take a decking board and cut them into small pieces. Place them one by one.

Edging is effective in small gardens and lawns. Edging prevents neighbor seeds to infect the lawn.

7. Chemical Control

Chemical control is the final method where all others fail. There are thousands of weedicides or herbicides available in the market. Apply them with a hand sprayer or electrical sprayer.

Some general-purpose weedicides can kill your grass. Identify weed before chemical application.

Apply the recommended amount because overdosing can kill other plants.

Final words

Every lawn owner tries a different method to get rid of weeds. Above mentioned methods are applicable and easy to follow. We recommend organic control for less invade. Apply chemicals if you have an ugly lawn with a lot of infestation.