Dealing with weeds, especially grassy weeds, can be difficult for anyone. Fortunately, there is something you can do to help get rid of grassy weeds that have taken over your grass. Controlling grassy weeds can be broken down into three stages: Identification, Prevention and Removal. Here’s is everything you need to know about each stage of treatment:
Learn the types of your grassy weeds
There are two main types of weeds – grassy weeds and broadleaf weeds. Grassy weeds can be similar in texture and style to grass; thus the name. While broadleaf weeds have wider leaves, with veins that are more spread out.
The most common type of grassy weed that you may see on your lawn is crabgrass. There are two main types of crabgrass – smooth and large.
Other types of grassy weeds you may come across on your lawn can include goosegrass, barnyard grass, foxtail and orchard grass.
The type of grassy weeds that may show up in your area are dependent upon a variety of factors, including the climate, type of soil, and whether your yard is an encouraging place for weeds to grow. There is no climate that can keep out weeds, but weeds may show up during different times of the year, depending upon the local weather conditions. In addition, weeds, like other plants, can be either annual or perennial.
How to keep grassy weeds out of your yard
Generally speaking, the best prevention against grassy weeds is to have a healthy, vigorous lawn. You should also have the right type of grass for your lawn – the wrong type can give weeds a foothold on your lawn. Proper mowing, watering, and fertilization treatments can also help keep out those weeds.
The steps involved in grassy weed control:
- Prevent grassy weeds before they are an issue through ongoing maintenance.
- Have a pre-emergent weed control applied to your lawn – pre-emergent means that the weed control is applied before the weeds come out
- Identify if grassy weeds are the problem– identification is needed in order to pick out the best treatment
- If weeds are already an issue, have them removed by pulling the weeds or using grassy weed control applications
- Apply additional treatments to help prevent them from coming back
When is the best time of the year to treat grassy weeds?
If you have grassy weeds on your lawn, you should treat them as soon as possible, so that they do not continue to grow and take over your lawn. The more the weeds grow, after all, the less room your lawn has.
But if you do not have grassy weeds, or you have had them removed and want to keep them out of your yard for good, you may need to have pre-emergent weed control applied in the fall, winter, or early spring, depending upon the type of weeds and your local climate condition.