The Best Weed Control For Your Memphis Lawn
8/13/2021
Everyone envies a thick green lawn, but sometimes that lush greenery isn't just grass. Weeds can be a big problem for Memphis properties, and with the amount of energy you already put into lawn care maintenance, you don't want all your efforts to be ruined by nutrient leeches. With how resilient and hardy weeds can be, a yard full of them can spell trouble for your turf, so it's crucial to know how to spot them before it's too late.
Facts About Weeds In Memphis Neighborhoods
There is a multitude of invasive weeds that you can find in Memphis neighborhoods, like dandelions and crabgrass, but they all bring the same problems to lawns and gardens:
- Fight for root and growing space
- Choke out other wanted plants and grass
- Eat up all the soil's nutrients, leaving little to none for turf and gardens
- Some leech off of other plants like parasites, leaving them weak and vulnerable to pests and viruses
One of the biggest problems with weeds is how incredibly prolific they are. Dandelions can bloom and produce seeds multiple times in the span of a summer, and the plant itself can live for over a decade if left undisturbed. There are other weeds that branch and vine out, producing roots that dig deep into the soil that make them much more difficult to completely eradicate. While some weeds may be easier to spot, it's the creeping ones that are most difficult to discover before they take over your lawn.
How To Spot Weeds On Your Memphis Lawn, And How To Keep Them Away
Weeds can be fairly easy to spot, especially if the plant structure differs from the natural turf on your Memphis lawn, but newer growth is much more difficult to discover than fully grown plants. These invasive plants grow much quicker than grass though, so if you spot unusually tall growth on your property, you may be looking at crabgrass instead of Bermuda grass. Ground cover weeds like Creeping Charlie or field bindweed may have much different leaf structures than grass, but their affinity to hug the ground makes them much more difficult to spot before it's too late.
You may be surprised to learn that weeds actually prefer harsher conditions. If you've ever noticed a dandelion poking up through the sidewalk, you may have wondered why it chose such an inhospitable place to grow to begin with, but the truth is, weeds love compacted soil. Compacted soil can cause a multitude of problems for your lawn, pest attraction included, but this also gives weeds a higher level of moisture which is something they especially love. Don't worry though, there are plenty of ways to make your property less habitable for weeds:
- Aerate the soil whenever necessary; lawn care companies have special tools designed for turf aeration
- Mow on a higher setting, leaving a 3 to 4-inch height to your lawn
- Only fertilize when it's needed
- Pull up weeds only when the soil is damp; damp soil makes pulling them by the roots much more likely
- Try to avoid tilling your soil; weed seeds often sit at the top of the soil and tilling up the ground basically does the work for them
- Add mulch and wood chips to your garden beds; this reduces the amount of bare soil on your lawn and makes it harder for weeds to grow
- Water more, but less frequently; weeds love sitting in moist soil, but turf grows much stronger when it has time to dry out
The Best Way To Keep Your Memphis Lawn Weed-Free This Summer
If you haven't studied the necessary care for grass and lawn turf, then growing a healthy lawn on your Memphis property usually comes down to a lot of guesswork. Thankfully, our lawn care experts at Dart Pest, Lawn, & Wildlife have all the knowledge and equipment necessary to keep your lawn looking flawless. Our lawn care services come with a variety of options, including weed removal and weed prevention. So get in contact with us today, and let us help your free up your summertime for more important activities.
Tags: weed prevention | weed control | weeds