Pest Prevention Weed Prevention Weed Control

Weeds are not normally what people think of when they think of pests. They are usually thinking of bugs and insects, but weeds are pests too! What is a weed? A weed is simply a plant out of place. If you have unwanted flowers growing in your lawn, they are weeds. If your Bermuda grass is getting into your landscape beds or vegetable garden, it becomes a weed.

This page contains information on preventing weeds. The best practice is to keep your lawn grass healthy. A healthy lawn is the best form of lawn weed prevention.

• Irrigate properly. Don’t “over water” your lawn and landscape beds. Many weed pests enjoy excess water, and may decide to take up residence in the new sea side resort in your landscape. Over watering fuels fungus, and bacteria and insects as well.

Don’t “underwater.” Many weeds like drier conditions than your lawn, and will flourish while your lawn suffers.

• Scalping your lawn, weakens the scalped areas turf, and allows weed invaders to take the place of the weakened grass.

• Waiting too long between mowing’s, can allow weeds time to reach seed head maturity, and plant themselves in your nice green lawn.

• When you have waited too long to mow, change your mowing height, so that you take off less leaf blade, and then mow again in a few days at a lower cutting height. Do this in increments until you reach your desired cutting height.

You should never remove more than one third of the top at a time. Taking too much off at once will leave your lawn in a weakened condition, inviting more weeds to take over.

• Don’t fertilize too late in the year. If you do, you may be fertilizing winter weeds instead of grass.

• Avoid aerifying late in the fall. Aerifying at that time, will plant the weed seeds that would have otherwise rotted on top of the ground.

• Use good cultural practices, like proper fertilization, mowing, and irrigating so that you avoid those bare spots that invite weeds to live in your lawn.

• Avoid mowing weedy outside areas before you mow your lawn. If you have to do this for some reason, stop and thoroughly clean your mower between the two areas, otherwise, you will be spreading the weeds you just mowed.

• Don’t create low areas or places where water backs up and becomes a swamp for growing water loving weeds. If you have already done this, find a way to drain and fill the area, or find a better way of making a permanent drain.

• Mow away from your landscape beds and garden to avoid throwing grass, weed clippings, and seed into them.

• Use plants native to your area when you are landscaping. Many native plants have properties which discourage weeds from invading.

• Avoid using manure that has not been composted as a fertilizer. Many weed Seed survive the animals digestive tract, and they have the manure to help them grow strong.

• Bird seed, usually contain some weed seeds. Don’t throw them where you don’t want weeds.

• Avoid  anything that would weaken your plants, because weak plants invite weeds and diseases.

• As much as possible, keep areas adjacent to your property, such as right of ways, clean and free of brush weeds and debris. If it is someone else’s property, or a vacant lot, get permission from the owner first. Brush becomes a seedbed for producing weeds. many of these seeds will end up in your lawn and landscape riding on pets, insects, wind, and water.

• Avoid lawn compaction. Areas with heavy foot traffic, are likely to have poor quality turf, and are subject to invasion by weeds that like compacted areas. If you have compaction, loosen it by aerifying.

If the area is getting traffic because it is convenient, you could make a paved foot path through the area, or you could plant or build something that would discourage people from walking that direction.

A variety of weeds in a vacant lot, a home for insects and vermin.