Every homeowner has the dream yard in mind.  The perfectly manicured lawn, without a weed in sight.  Beautiful trees, bushes or flowers highlighting spots that you can enjoy while sitting outside with your family and friends.  And then like a nightmare, a weed shows up and you franticly run to your computer to see how to nip this in the bud. 

How to keep weeds out of your lawn can be easy if you know the right things to do and when do them.  Here are some tips to get you started on that dream yard:

1. Mow Higher. Weeds invade your lawn because the grass is not strong enough to dominate. Mowing your lawn too low weakens the grass and reduces the ability for it to produce enough nutrients. Low grass also lets light hit your soil, allowing crabgrass seeds to sprout and grow. Each grass type has a recommended height, however most grass should be mowed at the highest level – between 2 and 4 inches.

 

2. Water Your Lawn Deeply. Light and frequent watering means your lawn will have shallow roots. Shallow grass roots allow crabgrass and other weeds to form in your lawn. Lawn needs about 1 inch of water per week. Keep an eye on the weather – the more rain you receive the less frequently you will need to water.

 

3. Feed Your Lawn. If you want green, luscious grass, you must nurture it. It gets hungry regularly. Your lawn needs different nutrients at different times of year. It is important to feed your lawn the nutrients it needs. Whether you are looking to improve your lawn without chemicals, or use chemical-based fertilizers, you should make a fertilizing plan for your spring, summer and fall and give the lawn the nutrients it needs.

 

4. Mulch Your Yard. Lawn mower mulching, or grass mulching, returns nutrients to your lawn to help it grow full, thick and green. Although water and fertilizer can feed a lawn, much of what your lawn needs is right there in the clippings! Grass clippings, or mulch, contains rich nutrients like nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus which help your lawn stay strong and prevent weeds for taking control.

 

5. Take Care of Areas without Lawn. If you want to control weeds in your lawn, don’t forget about the areas that do not have lawn. If the weeds form in your garden beds, they can spread to your neighboring lawn. When adding garden areas near your lawn the best thing to do is to plant your garden so your plants are close together.This will stop the weeds from seeing large gaps that they will be inclined to fill in.Your garden areas should also be covered to ensure the sunlight cannot reach these areas and allow weeds to form. Adding a layer of mulch over your garden beds will also help to keep the light and the weeds from your beds.

 

6. Take Care of the Roots. Ideally, you never have to worry about weeds.  But life happens and sometimes, despite best efforts, there are still weeds that get through.  And, you probably won’t like hearing this, but getting the root out manually is the best weed treatment for your lawn. To ease this less-than-fun chore, wait until the ground is really wet and those roots typically will pop right out.  If the ground is drier, you may need a tool or two to get to the bottom of things.

 
Whether you are just getting started on your beautiful yard or you have been maintaining one for years, regular lawn and garden care takes time and effort. Know your lawn and garden appreciates everything you do to help them grow.