It’s really the age old question….

“How can I prevent these unwanted weeds?!?”

Well, in order to prevent weeds, you must understand a few things (since they come in all shapes and sizes). In this blog post we’ll look into a few different elements that should play a part in your weed prevention strategy.

Identify where they are coming from.

Weeds grow for a variety of reasons. A few of them include:

• They weren’t removed completely during last year’s gardening. This means that you may have plucked what you saw in your garden or lawn, but left the roots of the weeds still planted in the soil.
• Is your garden or yard near woods or other non-landscaped areas? Often times these areas can pollinate your lawn with seeds (carried by the wind or hungry birds).
  
• How dense is your lawn? If your lawn has lower density, meaning the grass isn’t as thick as it could be, there would be many areas that seeds could settle directly in the soil. In some ways this allows weeds to plant themselves without anything blocking their paths.

Where are the weeds located?

One common mistake that is made with weed removal is the assumption that you can use the same type of prevention regardless of location (lawn, garden, flower pot, etc.). It’s essential that you understand that not all locations are created equal, and that not every solution will work for every location (certain solutions may be harmful to the plants you’d actually like to protect). So, before you do any prevention, really get an understanding of the location of your weed problem, and ask questions about the other living items you will need to protect in that area.

Then, determine the best approach to combating them.

Upon identifying the source and location of your weeds (note: there are more than the above noted elements), you can look into some prevention. The two main ways that you can prevent weeds include:

• Pre-emergent controls: Pre-emergent controls act as a barrier to prevent unwanted weeds from planting themselves within your landscape.
  
• Post-emergent controls: Post-emergent controls are designed to come in contact with existing weeds (essentially, the product must be within contact with the weed enough to extinguish it).

But understand, the science is difficult.

There’s a reason why people get a four year degree in turf management (or turf science). The reality is that there is a lot to know and understand, and sometimes it’s difficult to know what to do or not do (or what type of pre or post-emergent control to use). If you feel a little overwhelmed with your landscape’s weed problem, let our team of qualified professionals help. With our FREE estimate, you’ll learn what the problem really is and how we can best prevent it. Just click here to start.

Cheers to no weeds this Summer, and you being able to enjoy your beautiful lawn.

-TGC Team