If you have a lawn, it goes without saying that you probably wonder how to get rid of weeds in lawn. You may be surprised to know that one of the best ways to get rid of weeds is to mow your grass a little bit higher.
Longer grass uses water more efficiently, shades the earth, and prevents weed growth. It also produces more rhizomes which produce thicker turf. This creates a good thick barrier that prevents the growth of weeds.
Mow Less Often with High Blade Height
You may be thinking that if leaving your lawn a little bit longer is how to get rid of weeds in lawn, you’ll end up having your lawn mowed more often. This isn’t really the case, though.
Grass feeds itself and generates the energy to reproduce through photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis turns the energy of the sun into sugar. Your grass needs to have good, healthy blades and plenty of chlorophyll to be able to conduct photosynthesis. If you cut the grass too short, it will grow faster to create longer blades, so that it can continue producing food for growth and reproduction. When you have your grass mowed a little bit less frequently, it grows more slowly.
Another excellent suggestion for how to get rid of weeds in lawn is to have your yard mowed with a mulching mower have the clippings left on the lawn. This practice fertilizes your lawn without chemicals. It also adds to the barrier that prevents the growth of weeds.
The lawn clippings will compost beneath the level of the grass and create rich new soil. This will lead to a thicker topsoil layer, which is another method of how to get rid of weeds in lawn. The reason for this is that grass roots grow deeper and spread more into thick layer of rich soil. Weed roots grow shallow. If your grass roots are thick and abundant, they will crowd out the shallow weed roots, preventing weed problems.
Watering the Lawn Less Often
Another good way to prevent weed growth is to water less often. When your soil is deep and rich, and your grass is a little bit taller, your lawn will use water better and stay green longer. You should only water when your grass begins to look stressed by drought and the blades begin to curl. This practice encourages your grass roots to grow deep and thick, seeking water.
When you do water, you should give your lawn a good inch of water, no more. If your soil is very dry, you should water half an inch, turn off the water for an hour so, and then water another half inch. The soil will soak up the water better when you do it like this.
When you water too frequently, your grassroots will stay shallow and send out runners on top of the soil, instead of growing deeply into the soil. This thatch of runners will form a barrier against water and provide a good environment for weeds. That’s why watering less often is an excellent example of how to get rid of weeds in lawn.
Check our lawn watering guide for help with setting sprinklers.
Fertilization
Throughout the year the changing weather conditions can be hard on soil and grass. Your lawn’s grass roots will eat up more nutrients in the soil, more so during the harsh climate conditions.
Applying lawn fertilization replenishes the lost nutrients your grass roots need. Having strong grass roots keeps weeds from growing.
Having about 6 fertilization treatments per year is normal. More or less than that depending whether you’re using a slow or fast release fertilizer. Ryno Lawn Care uses organic probiotics with pre and post emergent fertilizers. Check service pricing on the quote request page.
We hope that these tips on how to get rid of weeds in lawn have been helpful to you.
Remember that here at Ryno Lawn Care, LLC, we’re always happy to help you. For more great information on yard, garden and lawn care be sure to explore the rest of our excellent and information-packed articles.
One Response
Does it matter how much weed killer you put in your weed and feed? I have pets that like to run in the yard and I was wondering if his was particularly harmful for them. I usually only apply the weed killer once a year, it that enough or do you recommend more?