Killing weeds with herbicides

Of the many ways to kill weeds, herbicides are the most straight forward and easy to understand. Spray the weeds with herbicide, watch as they die. Simple, right? Well, it’s not quite as simple as that. Herbicides carry side effects and dangers, so while they are certainly effective at getting rid of weeds, you should not rely on them only. But when used responsibly, they are an excellent ally in the war on weeds.

Getting herbicide

Almost any lawn and garden related store you walk into will be stocked with various herbicides. So the first thing to decide is what kind of herbicide to get. Most are in liquid form and can be sprayed either directly on the weeds or applied to your lawn. Make sure to read very carefully the label on the herbicide to make see if it will affect your grass if applied to it. The last thing you want to do is try to kill the weeds and kill your grass with it.

Once you have your herbicide, there are a few other things to keep in mind about using it.

• Herbicides are toxic. They are, after all, chemicals formulated to kill something. Make sure to take safety precautions in the handling and applying of them. Make sure to keep animals and children off your lawn after applying it as well, as the herbicides can cause sickness.
• Only use herbicides on lawns that are established. If your lawn has weeds and hasn’t been established yet, you’re going to have to go old fashioned and yank them out.
• Be absolutely sure you are using the right herbicide. Read the label to make sure it will kill the kind of weed you have, and only that kind of weed.
• Follow the instructions carefully on the herbicide container for disposal.

Herbicides can be an excellent method of weed control, but care must be taken in applying them. They aren’t the only measure in weed control, and should not be relied on exclusively.

Identifying weed type

No matter what you do to prevent them, chances are eventually weeds will pop up in your lawn. The best way to deal with weeds is to treat them as regular lawn maintenance. Everyone eventually gets a few weeds, and just like watering and mowing, you have to take care of them regularly. There are different methods for dealing with weed types, but the first thing to do is identify what kind of weed is infiltrating your lawn.

Grassy weeds

Grassy weeds are a bit of a misnomer - while they are weeds, they aren’t what we typically associate with a weed. They are actually grasses of a different type than the rest of your lawn. For example, you may have some type of meadow grass growing in your otherwise spotless yard of Bermuda grass. Since meadow grass is not the type of grass you planted, it is classified as a grassy weed. Since grassy weeds are essentially the same as your lawn, they are considered an annual weed - they reappear every year.

Broadleaf weeds

Broadleaf weeds are, as the name implies, broad of leaf. These are the kinds of weeds we usually think of when someone says they have a weed problem. They are clearly different from your grass, and are commonly classified as a perennial weed. They are especially hard to get rid of, since many of them are able to survive and regrow even if only a portion of their roots remain. They are one of the reasons that weeding out a garden can be so frustrating, since you have to pull the weed out by the whole root. And naturally, they seem much better suited for survival than the grass you’re trying to grow, so it takes a good bit of work to keep your yard free of them.

While weeds are a pain, if you treat them as lawn maintenance rather than something out of the ordinary they get a bit more manageable. There are a number of ways to get rid of them as well, ranging from pesticides to good old fashioned pulling out by the root. Whatever method you choose, be sure to do it thoroughly and well, and you won’t have a weed problem for long.

Identifying lawn disease

Lawn disease is perhaps the biggest fear of any lawn owner because it is the most difficult to spot. You can see your grass dying, or that it doesn’t look right, but you may not know why, especially if you’ve taken care to maintain it correctly. If you think something is wrong with your lawn, but it isn’t pests or weeds, you may have a lawn disease. The first step in curing your lawn, then, is to identify what, if any disease may be infecting your lawn.

Adding to the difficulty of identifying lawn disease is the fact that incorrect, watering, urination (from animals) and even pesticides can mimic the looks of a disease. If your lawn looks like it has a disease, first look to the most obvious culprit: yourself. Have you watered your lawn correctly, used the right amount of chemicals in the right volumes, and made sure that animals aren’t running free on your lawn? If you can rule out those, then it’s time to figure out if a disease is to blame.

Disease symptoms

Lawn diseases are commonly caused by fungi that start to grow on your grass. If you notice leaf spots, white powdery substances on grass blades, or if large patches of lawn are inexplicably dying, you may have a disease. If you don’t feel sure about treating a disease, or are unsure if you actually have one, take a sample of the infected grass to a lawn care professional and have them test it. They can also provide advice and care for curing your lawn of any diseases.

Seasonal diseases

Certain diseases tend to happen only during certain seasons, so knowing what can occur when will help narrow down a diagnosis for you. Gray snow mold and pink snow mold occur in the fall and winter months, usually where snow has gathered. Gray snow mold causes areas of grayish, matted moldy grass while pink snow mold causes a rusty or brown color to surface in a ring in areas of your lawn.

In the summer months, brown patch, dollar spot, pythium blight and rust can affect your lawn. Brown patch occurs when you overfertilize and the weather is hot and humid, and makes the grass appear dark and wet in circular areas. Dollar spot infects low nitrogen lawns particularly during drought. This disease makes the grass appear mottled and straw colored. Pythium blight occurs on soils and effects the entire grass plant. It is prevalent where soil has poor drainage. Look for reddish brown wilted patches suddenly appearing on your lawn. Rust appears on lawns that are shaded and low in fertility during how and dry spells. The lawn starts to appear orange or yellow from a distance when this disease hits.

The best treatment for these disease is prevention. While disease can creep up on even the most careful lawn owner, making sure you constantly maintain your lawn can prevent most disease from happening. If you do find your lawn is diseased, the best way to get rid of it is to make sure you start taking proper care of your lawn. Mow and keep any brush off the diseased area, and consult a lawn care provider about any additional steps to take to get rid of the disease and get your lawn healthy again.