Weeding Out Weeds with Your Burlington Irrigation System

A healthy, green lawn is the goal of many at the start of April.  They toil endlessly to ensure this happens while the proverbial “April showers” take place.  However, instead of “May flowers,” what pops up a month later are weeds. 

Lots and lots of tenacious weeds.

Weeds are some of the most stubborn plants out there.  While synthetic herbicides are the usual approach to getting rid of weeds, the Ontario-wide ban has eliminated this as an option. Now it’s up to Nutri-Lawn and our Burlington irrigation systems to keep your lawn weed-free all year long.  Your best defense against weeds is a thick, healthy lawn.  And healthy lawns start with smart irrigation systems. 

Manually Removing the Weeds
If you have a few pesky weeds on your lawn, this method will likely be effective.  However, if your lawn is riddled with weeds, all of the bending over to reach the weeds will cripple you with back pain before you’ve managed to even make a dent!

If you’re using this as your chosen method, it’s essential to pull the weed up by the roots in order to ensure that it doesn’t grow again.  If you only them by their stems, the weeds in your lawn will live to fight another day.  Why not save yourself the effort and prevent weeds before they start?

A Healthy Lawn is a Weed-Free Lawn
Weeds are very opportunistic plants; they wait for just the right moment when they can catch some space and a few rays of sunlight.  From there, they move in and get comfy (what’s more, they often invite their friends!).  By providing optimal growing conditions for your grass you make it more difficult for weeds to get a footing and take up residence in your lawn.

Fertilize
As always, apply your fertilizer in the spring.  However, more is not better.  If you overdo it on the fertilizer this can actually encourage certain weeds, such as crabgrass, to grow.  Your Nutri-Lawn expert will know the correct formula to optimally fertilize your lawn. 

Naturally, all the fertilizer in the world won’t work on your lawn unless your lawn is watered properly (actually, all the fertilizer in the world will burn your lawn, but that’s a topic for another day). Ensure your lawn receives adequate hydration so that your fertilizer can work its magic; look into having a Burlington irrigation system installed.

Practice Safe Watering
The days where you give your lawn a quick drink in the morning are so over!

Frequent, light watering results in shallow roots, and shallow roots are a weed’s best friend.  Not only that, but your lawn will suffer in general and be less likely to fend off disease. 

Does that mean you should give it a thorough soak every day?  Absolutely not!  If you keep your grass moist all the time it can cause your lawn to rot and become a breeding ground for disease and fungi.

So where’s the fine line?  Infrequent, deep watering is the new gold standard for lawn irrigation.  But what if Mother Nature already does the work for you?  Not to worry.  Nutri-Lawn carries a Burlington irrigation system that can sense how wet the soil is and adjust its irrigation patterns so that your lawn gets watered only when it needs it.

Mow Higher
Mowing too low actually weakens your turf, allowing light to hit the soil surface (remember: weeds just need a bit of light to take flight).  Ask your Nutri-Lawn expert for recommended mowing heights.

If you’re looking to keep your lawn lush and beautiful, why not try a Burlington irrigation system?  Contact Nutri-Lawn today to find out more!