One of the Cookies Weed-about questions in lawn care is: How do I prevent weeds from growing on my lawn? There are certainly many effective ways to treat the weed problems on your lawn. However, the key to a weed-free lawn is to prevent weeds from growing in the first place. It would take a lot less time, effort and cost to prevent weed infestation than it would be to fight it.
Weeds are a Sign of Unhealthy Lawns
If your lawn is overgrown with weeds, it’s a sign that something is wrong with your lawn. The first thing most people want to do is just simply spray weed killers to solve the problem. However, using a weed killer is only treating the symptom and not the disease. Other people feel that planting more grass seeds will help. But again, it does not solve the underlying problem that’s causing weeds to take over your lawn.
Focus on the Grass, Not the Weed
Instead of being on the defensive, you need to be proactive if you want a beautiful-looking lawn. Concentrate on improving the environment for your grass by getting quality topsoil and practice regular lawn care maintenance. Doing so will make your grass healthy and discourage weed growth.
Steps to Prevent Weed Growth
At the beginning of the mowing season, spend a weekend getting your lawn ready for the upcoming season. Aerate your lawn using an aerator to break up the compacted soil. This will allow water, oxygen and nutrients to disperse more easily and promote the growth of healthy roots. And throughout the mowing season, keep your lawn healthy by proper mowing, watering, and fertilizing when necessary. Keep in mind that it’s perfectly normal to have an occasional weed issue even after taking all the preventative measures. In that case, just use spot treatments with weed killing solutions and your lawn should be fine.
If your lawn is in really bad shape and you just cannot wait several growing seasons for it to become weed-free, you will have to dig out all the weeds and poor soil. Replace them with high quality topsoil, then either replant with grass seed or put down some sod. This will require a lot of effort and can be quite expensive, but it’s the only way to quickly transform your lawn. So, if you have the financial resources, you might want to just outsource the work to an experienced landscaper.
By keeping your lawn healthy, you will also prevent weeds from growing. A healthy lawn equals a weed-free lawn. Paying close attention to any unusual signs and you will help prevent weeds from spreading.