Spring Weed Control

Three cultural practices for a lush, green lawn this spring.

Maintaining a thick, healthy lawn is the best defense against weeds in your lawn. Spring is here and while the grass is greening up and the lawns are beginning to take shape, we will inevitably have to deal with weeds in the lawn.

When we talk about lawn care, weed control is a high priority for many homeowners. They take away from the beauty and enjoyment of our lawns while robbing the turf of nutrients and water. Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer, or you hire a professional to maintain your lawn, an Integrated approach to weed control is the best approach.

It is probably safe to assume, that when we think of weed control methods we usually think of chemical control methods like herbicides. But there are other methods that will help reduce and control the weeds in your turf. Cultural methods are also effective measures of weed control. Cultural weed control refers to techniques that involve maintaining your lawn in a way that weeds are less likely to become established and/or increase in number. In fact, you likely already do these as they are important steps in maintaining healthy turf.

There are three primary methods of cultural weed control: mowing, fertilization, and irrigation.

Cultural Weed Control Method #1 — Mowing

To maintain healthy and thick turf you should mow regularly, at the right time and at the right frequency. Try to adhere to the onethird rule when mowing. This simply means never remove more than one-third of the leaf tissue at any one time you are mowing. By following the one-third rule, you will mow frequently enough to stimulate lateral growth, which will help thicken the turf. Also, you will prevent scalping the lawn and causing stress to the turf.

Generally speaking, we recommend mowing at a height of approximately three inches in the spring, for a common tall fescue lawn. Mowing height recommendations will change with the seasons. A majority of our lawns are tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, or a combination of the two and these cool-season grasses grow faster in the spring months. In turn, it means more frequent mowing.

Weeds thrive in bare soil, or areas where the turf is thin. Proper mowing techniques and timing will ensure that your turf is thicker and denser, thus keeping the crabgrass, dandelions, and clover reduced in your lawn.

Cultural Weed Control Method #2 — Fertilization

Another important cultural practice is fertilization. Timely fertility for the lawn will help maintain a thick and healthy turf that will naturally suppress weeds. Fertilizer gives the lawn important nutrients to improve the overall health, promote root growth and improve vigor. Generally, we recommend feeding the lawn in the spring, summer, fall and winter.

Fertility is essential. An underfertilized lawn will result in poor soil conditions and increase the weed pressure. Likewise, too much fertilizer will damage the lawn leaving it stressed and inviting weeds. If you are unsure of what type of fertilizer to use, or the proper timing of the treatment, consult with your lawn care provider or a professional at a local garden center.

Cultural Weed Control Method #3 — Irrigation

The last Primary Cultural Weed Control practice is irrigation. Irrigation is critical to the health and success of your lawn. Weeds such as crabgrass, oxalis, and knotweed thrive in drought-like conditions. Unirrigated or dormant lawns do not stand up to our summer heat and it can leave your lawn more susceptible to weed pressure. Too much irrigation will cause moss, water waste, potential fertilizer runoff, and increased disease pressure. Consult with your lawn care professional for watering recommendations, on proper duration and frequency.

More to Consider

In addition to the three primary cultural weed control practices, aerating and overseeding are excellent cultural practices that can reduce weeds in your lawn. Cultivation, or aeration, relieves soil compaction and improves water rate to the soil, it works great with overseeding which will help fill in the thin or bare turf, where the weed pressure is the greatest.

These cultural methods of weed control can be used with herbicides as an integrated approach to weed management for your lawn. Weeds are relentless. They will spoil the look of your lawn and take away from the aesthetics. You might not completely eliminate all weeds from your turf, but these cultural weed control practices will help you towards achieving the weedfree lawn that you desire.

JOSH CHERINGTON Turf Manager

Josh Cherington is a Turf Manager at Ryan Lawn and Tree and has worked for RYAN for four years. Josh graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a B.S. in Economics and has 12 years of experience in the green industry.

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