How to Control Common Garden and Lawn Weeds

Get rid of weeds in your lawn and garden regularly.

An abundance of weeds in your lawn or garden is a sign that your soil is poor in nutrients. You can get rid of the weeds, but the problem will reoccur unless you create the optimal conditions for your lawn and garden. Change the height at which you mow your lawn along with the frequency of mowing. Depending on how much water your garden and lawn receive, try decreasing or increasing the amount. Apply fertilizer and aerate.

Things You'll Need

• Fertilizer
• Aerator
• Spade
• Garden gloves

Instructions

1. Maintain a thick layer of turf cover. Generally, if your grass is growing well, the soil conditions are optimal for the grass and not the weeds.

2. Water deeply, but not often. This is especially helpful in getting rid of grassy weeds such as crabgrass, which require a lot of moisture to root.

3. Apply herbicide over your lawn before weeds emerge. Take extreme caution when using chemicals on your lawn. Avoid using them on windy days, and stay away from trees and flowers. The most common weeds, such as dandelions, thistles, clover and knotweed, are best treated with dicamba, an active ingredient in many herbicides available at your local home improvement store.

4. 

   Pull weeds by hand.

   Pull the weeds in your garden by hand. Wear garden gloves and use a spade if necessary. Pull up all roots and rhizomes.

5. Use a selective herbicide on plants that have already rooted and are difficult to pull by hand.

Tips & Warnings

• Weeds are easier to pull when the soil is moist and loose.

• Herbicides are toxic, so be sure to read the warning label if you have small children or outdoor pets.

References

• "Sunset": How to Win the Weed War
• University of Minnesota Extension; Weed Control in Lawns and Other Turf; Brad Pederson and Bob Mugaas; 2011

Resources

• All About Lawns: How Do I Get Rid of Weeds: Dawn West: August 2006