Winter Weed Control for Your Lawn

Rich-Way Landscaping

Not all weeds freeze away with the winter. Especially in the southern United States, mild temperatures allow for weeds to thrive during the winter, exposing themselves and distributing seeds come spring. These seeds will continue the cycle all over again, leaving homeowners with a mess to clean up on their lawns. Some of these weeds are especially troublesome, such as winter broadleaf annuals. This category of weeds includes lawn burweed, common chickweed, henbit, and more. The onset of winter may provide homeowners some relief, but to keep lawns from being damaged come spring, winter weed control for your lawn needs to start early. 

Where Should I Treat?

Winter weeds typically germinate, or begin to grow, in the fall, and continue to grow throughout winter and spring, eventually dying off in the heat of summer. These weeds have the pesky habit of thriving on our own lawns, so be diligent in treating areas where an infestation may occur. These areas include lawns that are particularly unhealthy or scant in normal grass growth, areas that have been infested before, regions with heavy annual rainfall, and all areas where lawn mowers are regularly used. Despite their efficiency in cutting grass growth, mowers are excellent at spreading the seeds of weeds. 

What Weeds Should I Be Looking For?

Two categories of winter weeds are often the most troublesome on home lawns, broadleaf, and grass weeds. Different weeds also have different life cycles, annual, perennial, or biennial. Both classifications are important to know for homeowners, as different categories and life cycles require different strategies of control. The most infamous winter grass weed is annual bluegrass and is a problem across most of the United States. Winter broadleaf annual weeds include the previously mentioned lawn burweed, common chickweed, and henbit, but additional weeds, such as the annual purple deadnettle and the perennial dandelion can invade lawns over the fall and winter. If you have trouble identifying certain weeds, refer to specialists such as Rich-Way Landscape.

How Do I Control Them?

For the most effective winter weed control, it is best to know the species you are dealing with. Different weeds have different methods of eradication, try to know what you are up against! However, many winter weeds can be managed with broadleaf weed control products that can be found at most garden home improvement stores. Many landscape businesses also have services for managing winter weeds and keeping them from coming back year after year. Grass weeds are a bit more difficult than their broadleaf counterparts and requires pre-emergent weed control products similarly to crabgrass. Ultimately, the best way to keep weeds away is to have a healthy, fertilized lawn that leaves no space for weeds to sneak in.