Weed Management
Weed control depends upon how both we, at GreenWay, and you as the lawnowner, treat the lawn.
Effective weed control is a team effort. DO NOT expect chemical applications alone to do the job! YOU must do your part!
“How do I help?” By watering and mowing as we advise you to EVERY time we’re out there.
High mowing makes desirable grass more vigorous and able to out-compete weeds. Many weeds, such as crabgrass and spotted spurge, will spread out horizontally over turf that is mowed too short. Higher mowed turf may still have a number of these weeds in them, but they will be less able to compete and lay out flat and spread.
If you water too often, you'll bring up more weeds. Weed seeds sit on the top of the soil. Watering more than every other day will bring up more than if you water as we instruct.
“OK” you say. “Why should I worry about weeds if a pre-emergent control was applied in the spring?”
To answer that, let’s look at how pre-emergent herbicides work:
We apply the pre-emergent chemical at the April/early May service.
It spreads out along the soil surface to form a barrier once it’s been rained on, or watered in.
Weed seeds germinate.
The first weed root hits the pre-emergent barrier and the seedling dies.
In a perfect world, this would result in totally weed-free lawns. Unfortunately, pre-emergent controls are as imperfect as anything else in life…
Here’s what compromises pre-emergent controls:
Any weeds that already have roots are NOT controlled by pre-emergent controls. Most perennial weeds, such as dandelions, clover, violets, and others will germinate in the late summer and fall and will not be affected by pre-emergent controls applied in the early spring. There may be some seeds from those plants that will germinate in the late spring, but not all of them. Also, weeds may emerge from roots and underground stems from adjacent, untreated areas.
Drought - Once soil dries out after a pre-emergent control has been applied, the soil contracts and tiny cracks form (think pictures of a dry river bed) and weed seedlings can sneak through the cracks.
Sheer numbers - There are, literally, millions of weed seeds waiting to germinate. Out of the many thousands that may be effectively controlled each year, some make it through the barrier
Time - Pre-emergents don’t last the entire season. While they’re designed to stay put and last for months, the fact is that they weaken over time.
Weather - Extreme heat waves after a period of heavy rain will cause the barrier to weaken and crabgrass and other weeds will break through.
Grass consistency - Thin and/or bare areas will have more weeds, no matter how much pre-emergent has been applied. The barrier counts on having some turf there to keep soil temperature cooler and keep the small cracks from forming.
We know that some crabgrass and other weeds will make it through our barrier, no matter how effectively it was applied. That’s why we bring post-emergent sprays to our ensuing services.
Help us to help you by following our instructions for watering and mowing. We leave them every time we visit your lawn. Or call or email us!
Below are a few of the most troublesome and annoying weeds (of the hundreds of lawn weeds that we see).
