Observe that the title does not say ‘Eliminate Weeds Forever’. Don’t we wish? But like any problem, weeds can often be brought down to manageable proportions.

The first step is to start with as free a plot as possible.

That means, if you’re planting a new lawn you should take steps to start the soil off right. Lay down some weed killing material, then wait the appropriate amount of time before planting seed. How much time depends on what and how much you lay down. Follow the directions. Then, use seed that is as weed free as possible.

That kind of seed is often more expensive and when you have a large area to cover there can be a great temptation to save money by using a less expensive type. One major reason those types are less expensive is that they have not been through a weed cleansing routine at the factory. As a result, they will produce more weeds (along with the grass) than the better type.

For you, that means more time and money spent trying to eliminate weeds later. That’s not a good trade off. You’ll spend more money and more weekends fighting weeds. Use the best seed possible. It’s cheaper in the long run and your back will thank you too.

In garden areas or small areas of lawn, you can lay down a weed control fabric. These are lightweight pieces of cloth (usually black) that help minimize weeds. They reduce the amount of heat and sunlight that reaches the soil underneath the cloth. They also provide a physical barrier that will discourage some types of weed from poking through.

Weed control fabric comes in rolls of various widths. Choose according to your needs, but keep in mind that they can be cut to any width and length desired. Once laid down, you put (weed-free) soil on top of them and plant in that soil.

If you already have a lawn or garden you can control weeds effectively by the use of a pre-emergent herbicide. That phrase is just a fancy way of saying that the chemical kills weeds in the seed stage, before they sprout.

That’s helpful for two reasons. One, it allows you to avoid having to pull or spray them after they’ve grown, when they are stronger and more annoying. It also helps keep the population down, since they don’t have a chance to grow underground root systems and pop up everywhere. The more they mature and spread underground, the harder they are to control.

With many types of weeds, you’ll find (though some experts disagree) that pulling them does help reduce the current and future populations. As you pull them, if you get enough of the root, grass can fill in and out compete them for water, soil nutrients, space and sunlight. That gives you a good looking area and helps prevent their reoccurance later.

Sometimes, as in the case of dandelion infestations for example, the simplest way to deal with the problem is either spot or large scale spraying. Spot spraying is preferable, since it generally costs less, takes less time and avoids the possibility of damaging grass and other plants. But, there may be circumstances where a broad spray is your best bet.

Weed maintenance is an ongoing project, but small and consistent efforts can keep the problem to livable size.

Photo by Michael Bretherton

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