How To Stop Lawn Weeds

Weeds can ruin the look of your lawn and are hard to get rid of if you don't know the proper methods. Of course the best thing is if you can keep weeds from seeding and sprouting to begin with. But many people do not know how to go about this. They just know to grab the chemicals and spray after the weeds have grown.

Mowing whichever type of grass you have to the right height can cut down on the growth of weeds. When the height of the grass is either too tall or too short it can help weeds grow. But at the recommended height your lawn can help choke the weeds out and keep them from growing. Also mowing on a regular basis will help maintain the right height.

Keep your soil in optimum condition for the grass to grow. When the grass can flourish easily it can naturally push any weeds out. It can give the weeds no room to gain a foot hold. Weeds for the most part love to live in poorly nourished soil. So when you keep your soil properly fertilized the grass lives and the weeds go elsewhere. It is important that you know which nutrients your grass needs to thrive.

Practicing certain preventative measures can ensure the weeds do not come around. In the inactive months such as the late fall or winter months lay out a pre-emergent to keep the weeds from sprouting in the spring. The ones that manage to come then will be easier to get a grip on. Learn also which ones need to be pulled out by the roots.

Dandelions with their flowers can be a pretty site, but if you have ever allowed them to thrive in your yard, you know how hard they are to get rid of. These usually have to be hand dug out so that you can get the taproot of it. Once you pull this taproot the whole plant is gone. If you noticed that there are a lot of dandelions after summer it is a great time to pull all of them out. But remember you will have to dig the taproot up. Keep vigilant on the dandelions and you can triumph without the use of chemicals.

Another natural way to kill off some weeds is the simple use of boiling water. Add a bit of vinegar and salt to it and you really show that you mean business with the weeds. You can also use vinegar right on the weeds to kill them. Just spray the vinegar full strength on them.

Covering your area with landscaping cloth will smother the weeds. This usually works better in garden areas than on your lawn though. Some grasses may get smothered along with the weeds. But if you are going to start a new lawn in the spring you could use this cloth in the fall and winter to smother, and leave it in place in the very early spring, before it is warm enough to plant grass seed or start new sod. Then remove it and you'll see that most of the weeds have gone.

If you try everything listed above to no avail then you can resort to the chemical sprays. Be careful that the spray you will be using will kill the weed you are attacking.