Having a lush, green lawn takes work and dedication. If you want a lawn that looks good year-round, you have to keep up with lawn maintenance throughout all the seasons.
It can be frustrating to watch the bald spots fill in with crabgrass and then dandelions. That being said, if you’re interested in learning about fall lawn care in Frisco, you’re in the right place.
First Line of Defense
Overseeding is your best line of defense against weeds. This is what the pros do to keep their turf presentable and tv-ready all winter.
Don’t get the wrong idea, you don’t just go out and throw double the dose of grass seed all over the lawn, you’re close, but there’s a technique and some finesse you want to use when overseeding.
Timing is really important here, mother nature can blast through at exactly the wrong time and do some damage to your newly germinating grass. It’s important to get this done with enough time for your new grass to establish before a cold spell or better yet, overseeding right after a freeze could be the best bet.
Putting your seed out right before or after a freeze can work in your favor in a couple of different ways, believe it or not. You’ve got to get seed-to-soil contact.
The freezing and thawing action will work that seed down to the soil without stirring up any germinating weeds, allowing your grass seed to sneak by while the weeds seed are laying dormant, not making contact with the soil. The right conditions for germination apply to all plants.
For a pre-freeze overseeding, gentle daily watering to the area should work the seed down to the soil. Just be careful not to oversaturate the ground. Too much water will create conditions for disease and fungi to spread.
Check out one of our other articles titled, “Will Overseeding Kill Weeds?” to learn more about overseeding.
Secondary Tactics
Pre-emergent herbicides
Pre-emergents are used to prevent weeds from germinating.
It’s very important to know as much as possible about your weed infestation before you use any herbicides. You’re going to have to pay close attention to the calendar and the weather.
We all know that the average first day of anything in Texas has an over/under of three weeks. That’s where the beautiful option of pre-emergent herbicides swoops in and makes it difficult for those weeds to germinate.
Pre-emergent should be applied when the soil temperature is at 70 degrees, or as close as you can get it. Stick a thermometer in the ground to be exact.
Pre-emergent is the most effective herbicide against annual weeds, be they grassy or broad-leaf. If you plan to also use fertilizer, hold off for 1 week. This will give the pre-emergent time to work.
Post-Emergent Herbicide
Post-emergent herbicides are used to kill existing weeds.
This method is the most drastic when the weeds are thick and have a stranglehold, post-germination. Before considering this herbicide, try to weed out the area by hand, being careful not to spread any seeds.
Post-emergent herbicide can be a useful tactic if you’re trying to fight vegetation between your sidewalk or for weeds coming up through some type of hardscaping. They are also helpful if the weeds have overrun an area or two of a lawn.
Make sure you’re careful to not sacrifice any good grass you’ve got in the area when applying post-emergent herbicide, this stuff is unforgiving and doesn’t care if it’s killing grass or weeds.
Try not to use post-emergent herbicides on a windy day. The wind will cause the product to blow onto plants and grass, killing them as well as the weeds.
Final Thoughts
Weeds are any vegetation growing in unwanted areas. The most common weeds in this area are crabgrass, dandelions, spurge, annual bluegrasses, rescue grass and chickweed.
No matter which one is attacking your lawn, the abovementioned methods will help you get rid of unwanted weeds. The best bet against weeds breaking up the beautiful turf you paid and worked hard for is to overseed.
No matter what, overseeding and pulling those weeds out by hand will never fail you. If you’re not making any headway with the overseeding, try using herbicides.
JC’s Landscaping is here to help. Call us today to schedule guaranteed weed control for your lawn.
