Fall Lawn Weeds

A combination of prevention and herbicides controls lawn weeds in fall.

Many weeds appear in lawns in the spring, but weeds also grow profusely in the fall without proper lawn care. Combining herbicide application with good lawn management techniques provides the best results for fall lawn weed control.

Types

Many lawn weeds perish after the first frost. Examples include crabgrass, foxtail and broadleaf annuals such as pigweed. Weeds that persist throughout the fall include dandelion and bindweed. Summer annuals mature in the fall, while winter annuals germinate during this season.

Chemical Control

Post-emergent herbicides work best on perennial broadleaf weeds when applied in early fall. This is also the best time for winter annual weed control.

Prevention

Aerating and fertilizing in the fall encourages healthy growth of lawn grass. Keep grass watered and mowed throughout the next growing season to prevent further weed invasion in the lawn. Continue watering your lawn throughout the fall and winter in areas with milder climates where temperatures do not drop below freezing. Watering before expected freezes reduces winter damage as well. This, in turn, keeps weeds from proliferating in a poorly growing lawn the following spring.

References

• Colorado State University Extension: Fall Lawn Weed Control
• University of Minnesota Extension: Weed Control in Lawns and Other Turf; Brad Pedersen, et al.
• Iowa State University Extension: Fall Lawn Weed Control; Harlene Hatterman-Valenti; August 1992
• Texas A&M University: Fall Lawn Care

Resources

• University of Illinois Extension: Fall Lawns, Weeds...; Richard Hentschel; September 2010