Things You'll Need:
- Fertilizer
- Lawn mower
- Weeding tool
- Small shovel
- Herbicides
- Aerating shoes
- Cool season grass seeds
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Step 1
Take note of when you get the most weeds in your lawn. This way you can start to track the growth cycle of the weeds and prepare for the arrival of weeds.
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Step 2
Fertilize before the growing cycle of your grass begins. You’ll be able to stimulate the growth of your grass which can help deter weeds. Look for a fertilizer that is combined with pre-emergence and weed-control. The weeds will be crowded out by the growth of the grass and inhibited by the weed-control. Don’t make the mistake of fertilizing before periods of dormancy because you’ll actually be feeding the weeds.
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Step 3
Mow your lawn at regular intervals. Leave your lawn at the highest mowing range to prevent sunlight from reaching low-growing weeds. This will help stunt the growth of the weeds and prevent them from spreading to other parts of the lawn.
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Step 4
Make it a habit to pull weeds on a regular basis. Keep a close watch on your lawn and pull weeds as soon as you see them sprout. As long as they are young and have short root structures, you should be able to pull them out by hand.
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Step 5
As you pull weeds, make sure that you get the roots as well as the weed sprout above the soil line. If the weed has had some time to grow, use a weeding tool or a small shovel to remove the roots. Loosen the soil around the weed and move it back and forth to make sure you get all the roots. If you need to, pour hot water around the weed to kill the roots and help loosen the soil.
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Step 6
Look into using herbicides that are designed to kill weeds and not grass. Read the label of any herbicide that you buy so you know what it is designed to get rid of. Use the herbicide very carefully and follow the directions exactly.
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Step 7
Aerating your lawn is necessary to help the grass grow healthily, which can prevent the growth of weeds. Compact soil (that hasn’t been aerated) can encourage crabgrass, chickweed and other common weeds. You can easily aerate your lawn by using specially-designed shoe covers that will poke holes in your lawn and allow more moisture and air to enter the soil.
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Step 8
If you live in an area where warm weather grass goes dormant, consider reseeding with a cool season grass. This will prevent the weeds from taking hold during the winter months.
