Keeping Spring Weeds At Bay the Eco-Friendly Way

No matter how hard you worked this year to keep your lawn weed-free, inevitably those pesky nuisances start to rear their ugly heads seemingly as soon as the snow melts. Weeds germinate before grass wakes up from its dormancy period, which is why they seem to grow nice and healthy before the grass is ready to mow. Read on for Spring lawn care tips from Nutri-Lawn Burlington.

Dealing with weeds can be hard work – if you’re not aggressive enough, the weeds will just keep coming back and worse, spreading. If you’re too tough, the surrounding grass and plants could be damaged or killed. Before Ontario put their pesticide controls and bans in place, dealing with spring weeds was easy and effective, but terrible for the environment, so landscapers and gardeners have had to create eco-friendly solutions to kill the weeds, without killing the grass.

Irrigation

This may sound counter-intuitive, but irrigation leads to a healthy lawn, and a healthy lawn prevents weeds from growing. Having a company like Nutri-Lawn Irrigation design and install an in-ground sprinkler system keeps your entire lawn watered with no effort from you. If grass doesn’t receive enough water, the root system becomes weak and thin, leaving room for weeds to burst through. Green lush grass with a strong root system chokes out weeds. Overseeding after having your sprinkler system installed will also help with having a healthy lawn.

Vinegar

Vinegar is another method which can be used to kill weeds, especially dandelions, which are the most common springtime weed in Ontario lawns. Household vinegar isn’t quite strong enough, but a gardening store should carry vinegar with at least 20% acidity. Pouring the vinegar on the dandelions should kill them at the root, but be careful with this method, especially on a windy day, as it could damage the surrounding grass.

Boiling Water

Another popular weed-killing solution is boiling water, which can be used effectively on crabgrass. It’s important to do this early on in the season since crabgrass multiplies quickly. Remember boiling water can also kill the surrounding grass, so don’t pour it from a height when it is more likely to splash.

Digging in the Dirt

One tried and true method for naturally getting rid of weeds, is good old-fashioned getting on your hands and knees and digging them out. This can be easier said than done, depending on the weed, but works with dandelions, especially after killing them with vinegar, and with crabgrass. With crabgrass, use a sharp weed tool or serrated knife to slice the root, then pull. And hey, if you don’t want to break your own back, make a party of it and get the kids to do it! The family that plays together, stays together!