How to Prevent Weeds in Winter

Weeds are a nuisance, especially in winter when your low elevation garden isn't blooming. Chemicals are a gardener's savior for preventing weed growth, but only after the flowering season has ended. Preventative measures, before the weeds grow, is the best way to control winter weeds. But don't fret if the weeds have already surfaced, there is a chemical treatment for those as well. If you have a garden that is constantly overrun by winter weeds, and you'd like to learn ways to stop this nasty garden invader, read through the following steps.

Things You'll Need

• Pre-emergence herbicides
• Pre-emergence oryzalin
• Hose end sprayer
• Snapshot 80DF

Instructions

1. Treat weed free soil with pre-emergence herbicides. This chemical will kill weed seeds and seedlings before they sprout.

2. Pull or hoe any weeds that have already sprouted. Pre-emergence herbicides work best on weed seeds still in the soil, not on actual weeds.

3. Apply pre-emergence oryzalin to the soil with a hose end sprayer. This chemical liquid prevents the germination of grassy weeds.

4. Water the soil thoroughly before applying chemicals, and then soak the soil well again afterward. This forces the chemicals deep into the soil.

5. Treat both broad leaf and grass weeds with Snapshot 80DF. This chemical weed killer is a mixture of isoxaben and oryzalin. It kills the seeds of both weed types.

Tips & Warnings

• A pint of pre-emergence oryzalin, also called Surflan, treats a 5,000-square-foot area.

• Make sure to thoroughly rinse off all shrubs, plants and trees that are accidentally sprayed.