When spring rolls around, it’s not just your plants and grass that start waking up – weeds do too. Weeds are those pesky unwanted plants that seem to pop up everywhere in your landscape .
If you let weeds go unchecked, they’ll quickly take over, choking out your desired landscape grass and landscape plants. It is proven that hiring professional services like Down To Earth Landscape & Irrigation offers you peace of mind.
That’s why it’s so important to stay on top of controlling weed growth once spring arrives before they get out of hand. Luckily, there are several effective strategies for managing spring weeds.
Removing Weeds by Hand
Sometimes the old-fashioned way is best – simply pulling weeds out of the ground by hand. This method works great for small areas with just a scattering of weeds here and there. The key is making sure you remove the entire weed root system from the soil when pulling.
If you leave even a tiny piece of root behind, odds are that pesky weed will just grow ri0ght back. Hand-pulling weeds takes some sweat equity, but it gets rid of them without any chemicals.
Using Herbicides
Hand-pulling seems too labor-intensive, herbicides provide another effective weed control option. Herbicides are specially formulated chemical products designed to kill off unwanted weeds.
But you have to be very careful with herbicides – if not applied properly, they can also damage or kill the plants you actually want. Always follow the instructions on the herbicide product label to a T. And be sure to wear proper protective gear like gloves and safety glasses when handling.
Applying Mulch
For landscapes, applying a thick layer of mulch can go a long way in preventing new weeds before they sprout. Mulch is any material like wood chips, bark nuggets, or straw that you spread over the soil surface in a 2-3 inch layer.
This blanket of mulch blocks out the sunlight weed seeds need to germinate and grow. It also helps the soil retain moisture for your desired plants’ roots. After thoroughly weeding a landscape area, cover it with a fresh layer of mulch.
Using Corn Gluten Meal
Corn gluten meal is an organic pre-emergent weed control product that attacks weeds at their roots – literally.
When you spread this granular meal over an area in early spring before weeds appear, it works by drying out and killing off little weed seedlings.
Just don’t expect it to impact any weeds that have already sprouted and established themselves.
Cultivating the Soil
Frequent soil cultivation is another way to disrupt and prevent weed growth. By cultivating, or lightly tilling and turning over the top couple inches of soil, you expose any newly germinated weed sprouts to the air and sunlight.
This dries them out before they can sink their roots down. Just be careful about cultivating too aggressively or repeatedly around desired plants, as you could damage their root systems too.
Using Multiple Techniques
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for controlling spring weeds – it takes an integrated approach combining multiple techniques. Getting rid of weeds through hand-pulling or herbicides treats the problem temporarily.
But incorporating preventative measures like mulching, corn gluten, and soil cultivation while nurturing a healthy landscape is key for long-term weed management success.
Stay vigilant about controlling weeds as soon as they appear, before they mature and spread more seeds. With diligent effort using the right mix of methods, you can win the battle for a lush, weed-free yard and landscape.
Fight Spring Weeds with Down To Earth Landscape & Irrigation
Weeds are pesky plants that pop up all over yards in spring. If you don’t control them, weeds take over and ruin your landscape. Down To Earth Landscape & Irrigation has great services to help win the battle against spring weeds.
- Mulching by Experts: Mulch blocks weeds. Our professional spread thick mulch in the landscape to smother existing weeds and stop new ones from growing. Hire our mulching service for best results.
- Smart Plant Choices: The right plants fight weeds naturally by covering ground. Down To Earth strategically places plants to create a dense cover area where weeds can’t grow. Let us select and plant for you.
- Keep Plants Hydrated: Well-watered plants grow lush and strong, out-competing weeds. We install and service irrigation systems so your plants get proper moisture. Count on us for sprinkler expertise.
- Reliable Water Source: Plants need water consistently to stay vigorous. Our well and pump solutions ensure your landscape always has enough water to thrive and push out weeds.
- Plan Yard Layout Right: Problems start with poor design. Our experts create custom yard layouts leaving fewer weed-prone areas from the start. Hire us to plan smart.
- Thick Healthy Lawn: A lush lawn forms a weed-blocking surface. We seed or sod to establish a thick, carpet-like lawn that shades out weeds completely. Trust us for lawn installation.
Down To Earth Landscape & Irrigation values integrity, respect, and doing excellent work. We are dedicated to beautiful results that delight you. Contact Us today!