By definition, a weed is considered to be any plant that grows where you do not want it to grow. Weeds are the archnemesis of beautiful, green lawns. Even the best-kept lawns can fall under attack from common weeds.

What is included in a weed control service?

Full service lawn care should always include weed control. Weed control is the botanical component of pest control, which stops weeds, especially damaging weeds, from competing with desired plants and a healthy lawn.

Weed control should be a part of recurring yard maintenance routines as a preventative measure to keep your lawn safe.

How do weed seeds get in my yard?

Weed seeds can be transported by wind, water, animals, soil amendments, poor quality grass seed, and lawn and garden equipment. Since weed seeds are transported through the wind and air, they can pollinate nearby grounds causing the weeds you thought you had killed to start to grow again. Weed seeds can remain dormant for several years before they begin to grow, considering the need to reach the soil's surface and get proper sunlight and moisture before they germinate. The health of your lawn and its ability to sustain depends on the weeds that have grown and how you choose to respond to them. You are best equipped to fight weed invasion when you can identify common weeds and the ways to successfully get rid of them.

What types of weeds exist?

There are three main classifications of weeds, which all grow differently depending on your type of grass.

1. Annuals grow and produce seeds, then die within a single year. Some annuals may survive a second year in warmer climates. Annual weeds are the easiest to kill.
2. Biennials live for two years. First year is vegetative development and the second year is flowering and seed development.
3. Perennials live from season to season and produce seeds annually.

Which weed control methods work best?

By definition, weed control is a botanical component of pest control, that stops weeds from reaching a mature stage of growth when they could be harmful to domesticated plants, sometimes livestocks, by using manual techniques including soil cultivation, mulch with weed control, and herbicides. The best way to prevent weeds may be to grow a plush and healthy lawn, but chances are they will still sprout. Fortunately, there are a few proven methods for weed control services.

Weed Control By Hand

Manually removing unwanted weeds by hand or with lawn care tools is the most selective and environmentally friendly way to control weeds. Here are some tips to keep in mind when using this weed control method:

• It is exponentially easier to remove them after a good rainfall.
• Attack a weed as soon as it shows up.
• Pull at the base, lifting out as much root as possible.
• For larger weeds with extensive roots, like thistles and dandelions, use a garden fork, spike or slim trowel.

Weed control and prevention by herbicides

Since manual weed removal isn't a practical method for large areas or places that are overgrown with weeds. In these cases, the best option may be to use herbicides. When done properly, herbicides are extremely effective at combating weed invasion and eliminating weeds. There are two types of herbicides:

• Systemic herbicides enter the plant through the roots and leaves and travel through the inside of the plant.
• Contact herbicides kill from the outside and work their way in. By attacking the exposed parts of the plant, contact herbicides kill the weed by reducing its ability to feed itself through the process of photosynthesis.

Within these two categories, weed control herbicides may also be selective or nonselective:

• Selective herbicides, kill only certain plants and only work when you applied as directed. These products remove weeds without killing the lawn where the weeds grow.
• Nonselective herbicides kill all plants they come into contact with. These are best used when preparing to establish a new lawn. When used, all living vegetation can be removed from an area, which gives you a clean slate to work with.

Lastly, herbicides are either pre-emergent or post-emergent and the timing of application is crucial. Application too late or early only wastes the herbicide.

• Pre-emergent herbicides are designed for application before the targeted weed germinates, and are an effective preventative method for controlling weeds. Pre-emergent herbicides establish a chemical barrier that don't kill established plants, but are great when used for preventative measures. The protective barrier breaks down in six to eight weeks, therefore requiring proper timing to be effective. It is best practice to apply them early in the season. Use caution during application because pre-emergents may harm some plants and turf grasses.
• Post-emergent herbicides are designed to attack weeds that are already growing. All contact weed killers are post-emergents. It is a best practice to apply post-emergents later in the growing season, after weeds have grown but before they seed.

Organic / natural weed control

Organic weed control for lawns that kill weeds are safer for both family and pets too. Children and pets play close to the ground and are more likely to come in contact with weed-killing chemicals than you. Dogs and cats will chew grass and plants, ingesting dangerous compounds that could have long-term consequences, some even causing cancer.

Weed control chemicals have one ingredient, glyphosate, which is the root cause of problems in the environment. This chemical weed control accumulates in the soil. Being around it for an extended time can result in cancer and even genetic mutations.

One of the real problems is what these chemicals do to groundwater. They seep into the soil and, eventually, get into the groundwater. The groundwater then flows to rivers, streams, and even into water reservoirs that we use for drinking and household use! Because of this, many customers are turning to biosafe weed control.

Organic compounds used to kill weeds don't use this chemical, making them safe for the whole family and the environment. That means you can enjoy your yard immediately after a weed control spray application. Weed control products don’t have to be harmful. Organic and natural can be a good way to go when using weed control for your grass or flower beds.

Weed control fabric is another non toxic weed control. The place for best weed control fabric around shrubs and trees. Weed control fabric prevents weed seeds buried in the soil beneath from sprouting. It also limits the need to use harmful herbicides for weed control.

Fertilizer and weed control

To keep your lawn lush green and free of weeds at the same time, you can use a lawn fertilizer and weed control combo, also known as weed and feed.. Weed and feed comes in a ton of different varieties. When looking for the right weed control fertilizer for your yard, there are a couple things to be aware of. You need to know which type of grass that is growing in your yard. Generally, you can choose a one-size-fits-all type of fertilizer, but your results won’t be as good if you don’t choose something specific for your type of turf.

How can I tell what type of weeds I have?

The best weed control for lawns depends on the type of weed that is growing. Botanically, there are two types of weeds:

1. Broadleaf weeds
   1. The leaves on this weed are broad and flat (not grassy or needle-like)
   2. Examples include dandelion, clover, ground ivy (creeping Charlie), oxalis, chickweed, dollarweed, henbit, plantain, and thistle.
2. Grassy weeds
   1. This weed resembles grass in the way it looks and grows, one leaf at a time. Leaves look like grass blades.
   2. Examples include crabgrass, foxtail, annual bluegrass, and quackgrass.
3. Sedge weeds
   1. This weed is generally taller than grass and has a triangular stem with leaves arranged in groups of three.
   2. Examples include nutsedge, green kyllinga and purple nutsedge.

Lawn Love for weed control

Lawn Love is a modern, tech-enabled service that instantly connects you to lawn care services. Gone are the days of physical, in-person estimates, payments left under the doormat, and spotty service from lawn companies. Just tell us your address, and we use a combination of high-resolution satellite imagery, machine learning, and human review to generate a personalized blueprint of your yard – all in under two minutes and without ever setting foot on your property.

From there, you can book your professional weed control service with just a few clicks, and we'll match you up with a lawn care company to come by and complete the work. You can coordinate everything from your smartphone or web browser, and the entire experience is streamlined and delightful.

How much does weed control cost?

We believe in immediate and transparent pricing for your lawn care services. That's why we offer you an instant and personalized quote for your lawn weed service using satellite imagery to locate and size your lawn Affordable lawn care doesn’t have to be difficult! You can rest easy knowing that you found affordable lawn care and yard services with a professional and no hidden costs.