Weed Seeds Lawn weeds are the No. 1 thing that’s not on any homeowner’s wish list. No one wants to endure the battle of the annual bluegrass or the invasion of creeping Charlie. Weeds find their way into your yard through many means. Wind, birds, your lawnmower and even your feet can ferry weed seeds. The soil itself contains weed seeds, many of which remain viable for over 50 years. The question isn’t if you’ll have weeds to deal with, but rather when weeds will appear. White or Dutch clover used to be a common ingredient in lawn seed blends. These days, this perennial weed is regarded as a bad guy in most lawns. It tends to grow where soil is poor and low in nitrogen. Hand dig small patches, and apply fertilizer to those areas. Many times, bringing up soil fertility can help eradicate white clover. Apply a broadleaf herbicide according to label instructions. You’ll typically need to make several seasonal applications in both spring and fall to eradicate this weed. | Ground ivy, also known as creeping Charlie, prefers shady, moist areas of a lawn with low fertility, but also grows in sunny areas. Stems spread over the ground like ivy, rooting at leaf nodes (where leaves attach to the stem). This aggressive perennial weed is tough to beat. Use a post-emergent herbicide to spray plants. Follow package directions carefully for treating creeping Charlie. Be sure to apply subsequent applications as required. When you kill off creeping Charlie, establish grass quickly to prevent the weed from returning. Broadleaf plantain is a perennial weed that tends to appear in poor, thin lawns with compacted soil. It’s quite drought tolerant, but thrives in overwatered soil. Plants can grow in shady or sunny conditions. Hand-pulling is probably the best option to control broadleaf plantain. A post-emergent, broadleaf herbicide provides effective kill on large populations. Improve soil by aerating and adding compost before trying to establish a lawn. | Dandelion is a familiar face in spring and fall lawns. These perennial weeds grow long taproots. The best control is to dig them by hand, but be sure to get at least 2 inches of the taproot, or the root will resprout, yielding two plants. A thick, healthy lawn is your best defense against this weed’s wind-borne seeds taking root. Spot-spray dandelions with a post-emergence herbicide that doesn’t kill grass. Treating mature plants in fall sends herbicide directly to roots. If you can’t treat plants, at least gather blooms before they set seed. Chickweed is an annual weed that prefers shady, moist soil with higher fertility, although its seeds will sprout in dry soil. Typically, chickweed appears in lawns that are thin and experience poor drainage. The easiest way to control chickweed is to pull individual plants. If you know you have a heavy infestation, you can use a pre-emergent herbicide in early spring and fall to prevent seeds from germinating. Another trick to kill chickweed is to step on stems to crush them slightly, and then sprinkle some lawn fertilizer over the broken plants. The nitrogen kills the plants. Nearby grass tips may show signs of fertilizer burn, but they’ll recover. |
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