Nothing ruins the aesthetics of a lawn quite like weeds do. These persistent, greedy, and ugly plants rob your lawn of space, light, and valuable nutrients. Without proper weed control, these opportunistic plants can quickly take over a lawn. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can get ahead of the weeds and make next year’s spring lawn care a bit easier. Here are a few fall weed control tips to help you reduce the number of weeds in your lawn and prevent future crops from sprouting up.
Broadleaf Weed Control in the Fall
Even though it’s fall, that doesn’t mean the weeds are finished growing. In fact, fall is full of weeds. Fall is the season of broadleaf weeds. During this time of year, broadleaf weeds go through a second bloom. They enter an aggressive absorption mode, greedily sucking up water and nutrients and storing them in the plant. This allows them to grow quickly before finally dropping their last load of seeds in your lawn. These seeds will overwinter in your grass, waiting for the spring when the temperatures rise and they can start sprouting again.
Broadleaf weeds are fairly easy to identify. Look for weeds that have thick leaves with a thick central vein running down the center. Smaller veins will branch off of this main vein. Aside from the leaves, broadleaf weeds come in many different shapes and sizes.
- Dandelion
- Plantain
- Ground Ivy
- Cinquefoil
- Chickweed
- Shepherd’s Purse
Common Broadleaf Weeds in Massachusetts
The best way to control broadleaf weeds this fall is with post-emergent spot treatments. Fall broadleaf weed control is especially effective because the weeds are trying to absorb as much as they can, as fast as they can. Any weed control used on them now will be absorbed quickly and distributed throughout the entire plant, resulting in a total kill. Once the broadleaf weeds are gone, your grass will have more access to space, water, and nutrients. This will help maintain a healthy lawn going into the winter.
Pre-Emergent Weed Control
By the end of fall, your lawn is probably full of weed seeds. Whether it be from weeds in your yard going to seed, wind carrying the seeds from neighboring yards, or birds dropping them, your yard is a ticking time bomb. Come spring, the temperatures will rise and those seeds will activate. In no time, you’ll have a yard full of weeds. Luckily for you, there is a way to stop those seeds from sprouting. Pre-emergent weed control is the key.
As the name suggests, pre-emergent weed control only works on weeds before they emerge. That means it won’t work on any of the weeds that you can see. The way it works is the spray creates a barrier over all the seeds in your yard, preventing them from germinating and eliminating an entire generation of weeds.
Pre-emergent weed control is best done in the early spring or late fall. If you have a pre-emergent treatment in the fall and then again in the early spring, you will see a dramatic decrease in the number of spring weeds sprouting up. This means your grass will have total access to the nutrients it needs early in the season, resulting in quicker green-up and a more lush and healthy lawn.
Call in the Pros at Barefoot Lawns
The best way to maintain a weed-free lawn is by keeping your lawn healthy. Here at Barefoot Lawns, we have the premium lawn care programs to keep your grass lush, healthy, and weed-free.
Call us at 508-281-1441 or request a free quote here.
Recent Comments