How to Minimize Summer Weeds

Nothing is more aggravating than a beautiful, lush, green lawn with unsightly weeds poking through. Just the sight of them makes most of us cringe. Not just an eyesore, these lawn-invading thieves steal vital nutrients, oxygen, and water from your grass. And regardless of how well you maintain your lawn, summer weeds are sneaky. They can end up on your property from seeds that hitch rides in the wind or dropped off by birds who unknowingly pass them along.

There are a few things you can do to help minimize them. Today we are going to talk about the summer weeds that plague our Ohio lawns, how you can help prevent them, and what to do if you already have them.

Common Summer Weeds in Ohio

First, let’s start with identifying the most common weeds we find ourselves faced with in Ohio. Common weeds found in Ohio include:

• Crabgrass
• Wild Violets
• Thistle
• Knotweed
• Spurge
• White Clover
• Nutsedge

Best Methods of Weed Prevention

The most effective preventive method starts with a healthy lawn, so the best way to control weeds is by making it hard for them to grow in the first place. This is where good mowing and watering practices are really helpful! Additionally, some weeds can ONLY be controlled by prevention, while others actually have to show up before they can be treated. Investing in a lawn maintenance program that includes proper nourishment will help keep your grass durable and strong. Stronger turf is better able to ward off weeds, lawn disease, and pests. 

Other ways to help prevent weeds from sprouting include:

Proper Mowing Methods

While you may want to cut your grass as short as possible, mowing it higher will actually help shade the soil, so your lawn stays stronger and better able to defend against weeds. Cool-season grasses in Ohio should be mowed to approximately 4 inches. Mow your lawn often enough that you aren’t leaving visible clippings.

Proper Watering

Generally, cool-season turfs need approximately one inch of water per week during the summer, including what is already accumulated through rainfall. While it may seem like you should water every day, frequent light watering can actually cause shallow roots. Shallow roots are bad because they help weeds such as spurge, violet, and crabgrass to sprout. Instead, water less frequently for longer periods reaching deeper into your soil. This will help strengthen your root system creating stronger roots that are better able to ward off aggressive weeds.

Pre-Emergent Herbicides

Pre-emergents are tools that prevent weeds from growing. It works by creating a barrier in the soil that the weed can’t break through. That’s why we don’t suggest any seeding when a pre-emergent has been applied. When that barrier is broken, the weed seed will grow right in. Better to seed when weeds aren’t as likely to grow.

Using the right type at precisely the right time can be tricky. Therefore, we recommend leaving the use of pre-emergents up to the professionals. Ecolawn offers pre-emergent treatments as part of several of our lawn care programs, including an application specifically designed for that hard-to-control crabgrass.

How to Eliminate Weeds

All this is great—what if it’s too late and bothersome weeds have already taken over my lawn? Sometimes we get busy, and life gets in the way. When this happens, we still have a few options.

Post-Emergent

Post-emergent herbicides are tools that make weeds weak so your grass takes over. There are different types of post-emergent weed killers for different kinds of weeds. Once you make the decision to use post-emergent herbicide and decide what formula to use, make sure to follow all directions, so your lawn isn’t harmed in any way. To be sure proper care is taken, it’s best to leave the use of post-emergents up to the professionals.

Save time and energy by calling Ecolawn today at 440-703-6604, or contact us here and find out how we can help you.