Weed Control

  Landscaping and Weed Plants

In the Bible, after Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, God cursed the land that it would bring forth weeds. It says, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."(Genesis 3:19)

Weeds are a part of life, but having a good strategy makes them much easier to deal with. Most people don't love to weed and procrastinate https://marihuana-abgabe.com. Then, when their yard totally looks like it needs weeding it can take a long time to weed.

Best Strategy

The best strategy is to weed when they are young seedlings. You can use a hoe and with little effort eliminate the majority of the weeds. If you weed once a month, with a hoe, it will take very little time. The most important weeding is early spring when water is abundant and seedlings are just sprouting.

Weed Killer Applications

Again, small weeds are much easier to eradicate than large weeds. If you start out while weeds are small, you can kill them with one light application. Large weeds take much more poison and even several applications. The main purpose of weed control is that it takes less time than hand weeding. If you have a large pasture or field that has got out of hand, this may be the only viable option.

Most people have found Round Up to be very effective. It will kill any weeds and even grass. Other applications are for the lawn and only kill broadleaf plants; like dandelions. If you hire a lawn fertilization company like Chem Lawn, you can have them spray the weeds for you.

Large Gravel Lots - Ground Killers

There is a weed killer called Pramatol that you can get at Intermountain Farmers Association. It comes in a white granular form. You can put it on the ground and it will take care of all the weeds for one year. However, if you read the container it will make the ground sterile for up to three years. We have only seen it work for one year, but it works very well with only one application. This product must be used with caution.

Stubborn

Some weeds can be sprayed repeatedly and don't die. In addition, you can pull them by hand and almost never get out the roots. One example of this is Morning Glory. What is a homeowner to do?

You can wait until they die back and next spring hit them hard while they are first sprouting. And, since most of you don't like this answer, I will give you an option to immediately get rid of them. You can take concentrated weed killer and very carefully, with heavy duty rubber gloves and eye protection, you can put concentrated weed killer on the plants with a paintbrush or rag. The high concentration is sure to kill the weed. Don't ever just dump it on the weed. This would be dangerous to humans and is in violation of Federal Law. The goal is to use as little as possible and get the job done.

Another option is to use a propane torch. You can buy specialized propane torches that are made just to burn out weeds. It's an easy and quick method that works well.

In reality, you should stay away from poisons as much as possible. They aren't good for humans or the environment.

Whacking

You may have the idea to just weed whack down everything. This will definitely give the property an overall uplift, but the weeds will come back soon. The best way is to spray the weeds first and wait a week or two; then weed whack. Not only does the poison work down to the roots better, but the added weed whacking will make it more difficult for the weeds to survive.

Fumigants

Fumigants kill the soil. They are used when the soil is contaminated in some way. For example, Fairy Ring in lawns. Fumigants are best left to professionals and are usually a last resort. In most cases, it's better to replace the soil.

Why Do You Have Them?

Many people hate weeds and yard maintenance. They have a constant barrage of weeds every year. Usually, the problem is the yard plant design. A good design will produce few weeds. The biggest mistake is that people don't plant enough plants in their yard. If flower beds are full of wanted plants, it's difficult for the weeds to take root. The same concept goes for a lawn. Lawns that get a lot of weeds are those that aren't cared for properly. Healthy thick grass makes it very difficult for weeds to become established.

Do you have weed barriers? Bark, wood chips, and compost make it more difficult for weeds to take root. In addition, there is weed mat that keeps out weeds. Make sure you have a high quality commercial grade weed mat. The most important barrier is curbing or metal edging between lawn and flower beds. It keeps grass from growing where you don't want it.

Identification

There are lots and lots of varieties of weeds. Most people are familiar with that they have in their area. If you have question, take some of them to a local nursery for identification and recommendations.

Weeds are the pesky little plants that grow in your garden without any initiation or invitation. They take up the valuable space in your garden, but more importantly they compete with your precious plants for water, light and nutrients and in some cases this results in stunted growth of the plants that you planted. While weeds can be dealt using a lot of methods including chemicals one of the best and preferred ways would be to use weeding tools since they are very effective for weed removal and do not tamper with the quality of the soil the way chemicals do. A Fiskars weed puller is an ideal solution also due to the fact that their long handles allow you to stay standing while weeding, which means that you do not have to strain your back while pulling out the irksome weeds. When it comes to choosing a weed puller that is extremely efficient, Fiskars weed puller is a great way to go.

Fiskars weed puller is a great way to achieve that perfect garden of your dreams or a luxurious lawn without the pesky weeds that clutter and spoil the landscape. This weeding tool makes the job of weed pulling seem fun instead of the tedious job it would be without the Fiskars weed puller's help. It involves a simple process of step-pull-eject, after which the weed is ejected from the ground by its roots and all this while you can remain standing up comfortably. Using the Fiskars weed puller is not only easy, effective but also environmental friendly and by choosing this over others; you can contribute to the environment in your own small way.

Few tips while using your weed puller will go a long way in ensuring that your garden will stay weed free for a long time. Watering the soil in the garden or the lawn loosens the soil ensuring that the weed is plucked out completely from the soil without leaving back any roots that might allow it to come back up again. Fiskars weed puller ensures that your weed is removed completely as well, with minimum effort and maximum results.

The weed puller's design includes a foot rest at the shaft's base which allows the tool to penetrate the soil easily while you are stepping on the pedal. When you pull the shaft towards you, the stainless steel claws reach in deep and grab around the roots of the weed from various directions, after which the tool is retracted from the ground. The weed removal is complete, and in almost all the cases, the weeds are pulled out completely by the roots and hence do not resurface easily. The unique sliding mechanism of the puller allows you to stay standing while the weed is ejected safely from the instrument and never requires you to bend down and remove the weed from it manually. The sleek designed and efficient Fiskars weed puller is an environmental friendly, easy to use gardening tool that allows you to enjoy the full beauty of your garden or lawn.

Stephen Heather

I thoroughly enjoy being in my garden and love the feeling that it gives me when it is looking good. I found this weeding tool whilst trying to find a solution to keeping my lawn free of weeds. The feed and weed solution worked but definitely not as good as the Fiskars weed puller. Plus the fact I didn't want my kids and dog to get ill from the chemicals I was putting on the lawn.

A thick lawn is your best defense.

Weeds are opportunists. They will find bare spots or places where your grass is weak, and they will exploit them to their advantage.

Perennial weeds (weeds that grow from their roots every year) can spread and make a lawn unsightly. Annual weeds (weeds that die at the end of the season and reseed the next year) can leave bare spots that are vulnerable to runoff.

No matter what weeds you have, the first line of defense is preventive practices. Try these options to get at the root of the problem first, before resorting to herbicides.

Prevention practices

Mow high. Do not mow grass shorter than recommended for the species you grow. Mowing at 3 inches or higher helps grass shade out weeds and encourages a thicker, more competitive turf. See other sections of this site to make sure that you are using the right grass species, fertilizing and watering correctly, and generally doing all you can to encourage healthy grass.

Reduce compaction. Pay special attention to heavily used areas and sections next to pavement. Weeds can gain a foothold in these spots and spread to the rest of the lawn if it is weak.

Repair bare spots by raking in seed in early spring so that the new grass can compete with the weeds that are sure to come up. This can be tricky though. When you seed, you can't use traditional pre-emergent crabgrass products because these will keep your grass seed from germinating just like the crabgrass seeds.

There are however a couple of products and strategies to avoid this situation and keep the spring crabgrass germination

If lawn is thin, fertilize it properly with quality fertilizers to improve density.

Let the weeds be your guide. If weeds dominate an area, it's likely that there is something wrong with either the growing conditions or your lawn practices. Dense stands of prostrate knotweed are a good sign of soil compaction. Don't just pull out the weeds. Relieve the compaction. Violets (Viola spp.) are a good sign of low light levels. One solution might be to seed shade-tolerant fine fescues or new shade and drought tolerant hybrid bluegrasses.

If you use herbicides...

o Use the right product at the right time. Follow label directions and try to spot treat areas with the weeds only using the right liquid concentrate weed control. The best and most economical way is in a pump sprayer. You usually mix a very small amount with water and spray. This saves lots over time.

o Use granular weed control products only on lawns with lots of weeds throughout. Some products are better than others for certain types of weeds. Applying at the right time, and allowing the weeds to take in the weed control is critical. Usually this is done while the grass is wet or damp to help the granules stick to the weed. 24-48 hours without rainfall is best.

o To avoid volatilization and drift, which release pesticides into the air, do not spray when temperatures are high or it is windy.

o To help prevent polluted runoff, do not apply pesticides when heavy rains are expected or the ground is already saturated or frozen. You will also get a better result.

o Sprayers should be triple rinsed with a spray tank cleaning solution to avoid residual left over when you use the sprayer for other products.

The types of weed control products include:

Pre-emergent herbicides:

o Most common for crabgrass.

o Applied to soil before weeds are expected.

o Have low solubility and bind to organic matter.

Postemergence herbicides:

o Most common for perennial broadleaf weeds.

o Applied after weeds have emerged and are actively growing.

o Avoid application before irrigation or rain.

o Kill or injure all plants they come in contact with.

o Used to kill vegetation before reseeding.

Annual grassy weeds.

Crabgrass is one of the most common grass weed problems. It is a warm-season annuals. They thrive when temperatures are hot and cool-season lawn grasses are least competitive. Still, they have a tough time invading a healthy lawn.

One place where they can more easily gain a foothold is along paved areas where high temperatures can damage cool-season grasses - along the edges of driveways, sidewalks and patios, for instance. Soil temperatures are usually warmer in these areas and crabgrass germinates earlier. These are also harder to get granular applications on as you are spreading your product in a spreader.

Where hostile conditions exist for lawn grasses, you can spot treat for crabgrass with pre-emergence herbicides. These herbicides work on the seeds as they germinate. Because they are ineffective on ungerminated seeds or established plants, timing is critical.

Using a strategy of spraying just the edges of the driveway or sidewalk about 1-2 ft wide, will keep crabgrass pressures down considerably. The benefit is great, it doesn't cost much, and you are only treating a small area along the edges where crabgrass pressures are greatest.

Optimum timing for pre-emergent treatment of crabgrass is about the time that forsythia blooms wane, when the soil temperature is between 59 F and 65 F.

As mentioned earlier, Pre-emergent herbicides do not distinguish between weed seeds and grass seeds. So you won't be able to replant grass where you've applied them for 2 to 6 months. Two products do exist to allow you to seed in spring and control crabgrass. Professionals use them and you can too.

The first product is called Siduron. It is usually easiest to apply this as a granular over the seeded area at the time of seeding. It won't inhibit new grass seed from germinating while controlling crabgrass. Siduron is a little pricey, but their aren't exactly many alternatives.

The second product is Drive DF. It is a dry flowable product that you mix in water and spray before you seed an area. It works great in small seeded areas because you can spray it where you want to seed. You use only about 1/3 of an ounce per gallon of water. The best part: It is also a post-emergent crabgrass spray too. You can use it to spray existing crabgrass plants if some emerge anywhere else in your lawn. It also controls a few broadleaf weeds like clover too. It can be bought in Drive 1# containers for a little more than 100 dollars (professional s use cases of this size) . It can also be purchased in Drive 1.5 oz bottles for about 20 dollars. This size will make 5 gallons of crabgrass pre-emergent for seeded areas or crabgrass killer for mature crabgrass plants .

As mentioned above, once crabgrass emerges, you can apply postemergent herbicides, usually from early June through mid-July. Several different herbicides are on the market that can kill plants that have not yet tillered. Drive DF is a good one . Acclaim Extra is another good product. Acclaim Extra is only a post-emergent crabgrass control . It is a liquid you mix in water and spray on crabgrass. It comes in large size concentrate, but is also sold in Acclaim pint size containers. An average rate is about ½ oz per 1000 sq ft or gallon of water. This will give you 16 gallons or 16,000 sq ft of crabgrass killer.

Spot treating with non-selective herbicides such as Round-up can kill the plants and reduce their contribution to next year's seedbank. But you must use absolute caution and care not to accidentally spray and kill other plants nearby. Round Up will also kill any grass it touches and leave dead spots throughout the lawn. Drive DF and Acclaim Extra will not do this.

Perennial broadleaf weeds

Unlike annual grass weeds, herbicides for broadleaf perennial weeds are usually applied post-emergence. The advantage of post-emergent control is that you can see how many weeds you have before you decide whether or not to spray. If you just have a few, pulling them by hand might be your best option. If you don't have to spray, then don't.

Most broadleaf perennials - such as dandelions -- have their greatest visual impact in spring. But late summer to mid-fall is a great time to control them with herbicides. As the weather cools, these weeds start storing food produced in their leave in their roots, just like cool-season lawn grasses. If you apply herbicides at this time, it will be transported along with the food and stands a better chance of killing to root.

When applied in spring, you can still get good results with quality weed control products. Because the weed is hungry and growing, it will take the weed control in and be effective at this time too. You can spray them with the quality weed control products, or use granular weed controls in a spreader. Spraying is more economical and you get the product right where you want it. Granular products are more suited for large areas filled with weeds to get a knockdown. Avoid rainfall for 24-48 hours. This gives the weed control time to work.

Make sure you choose a selective broadleaf herbicide, one that kills only broadleaves and not grass. Nonselective herbicides, such as Round-up, can kill all plants that they come in contact with.

These strategies should get you well on your way to controlling those lousy weeds.