Keeping Your New Lawn Weed-free

Kill Weeds before They Surface

Congratulations on installing your new lawn. Now the real work begins. New lawn maintenance really begins before the first sprouts of springtime dot the yard. Weeds can sap all the nutrients in the soil, weakening the lawn before it even blooms. Effective lawn care involves using the best weed killers before trouble starts. Consider using pre-emergent weed killers once your lawn is established and mowed at least three times in the spring.

Many lawn treatment companies sell pre-emergent and post-emergent weed killers based on the kinds of weeds common to your grass type and region. Generally speaking, the most-typical culprits are dandelions, crabgrass, and clover.

Handling the Common Culprits
Dandelions are weeds that emerge in the spring and spread wind-borne seeds across your lawn. Clover looks nice, but its roots and trifoliate leaves leech nutrients critical to healthy lawn care. Crabgrass can spread quickly, is hard to root out, and loves sunlight.

Pre-emergent weed killers are effective against crabgrass if you apply them before the weed is established. The best treatment for dandelions is using a spot-application of weed killer when they begin to emerge. Be sure to put those flowing heads in a garbage bag and get them off the lawn before they spread. And spraying weed killer in the fall can keep them from returning.

Other common weeds include pigweed, groundsel, wild morning glory, and broadleaf plantains. Wild morning glory is best treated with weed killer in the fall. But springtime provides the best opportunity for using spot killers and pre-emergent treatments for broadleaf plantains, pigweed, and groundsel, stopping them in their tracks before they establish colonies.

Consult a local lawn care expert before buying weed killers to ensure you're using the best treatment available.