Lawn And Ground Cover Weeds Some Simple Tips For You

Lawn and ground cover weeds are one of the most common and annoying problems today in a commercial or residential setting. People have been fighting weeds for years. One very simple solution is to develop a plan of controlling them throughout the year. Even in colder climates, where the ground freezes, you can develop a maintenance program that can help you stay on top of these unwelcome guests on your property.

Weeds will be the first to appear when the ground warms in the springtime. The weeds can invade not only your gardens and landscape, but also your lawn. When you make an outside investment, one of the most important things you can do, is to learn and develop a maintenance program for weeds, pests, diseases and any other potential problem. In the article, identifying pests and diseases in trees and shrubs, you can get a few basic tips on maintaining healthy plant specimens. It takes a commitment on your part whether you do the maintenance yourself, or hire someone to do this for you.These are just a couple of different suggestions that may help you gain control over the weed population on your property. Preemergent herbicides are used to prevent the germination of many weed species, mostly annuals. They are often used in the early spring. Postemergent herbicides are directly applied to newly germinated or established weeds. Broad leaf weeds and perennials are best to use with the postemergent herbicide. The postemergent herbicides are broken down into two groups, one is contact and the other is systemic. Contact kills the part of the plant it comes in contact with. Systemic herbicide which will break down and kill the entire plant specie. These tips may be helpful to you in deciding which herbicide you need to use. When in doubt, always talk to a professional. These herbicides are considered non-toxic to dogs and other domestic animals. Below is a list of some of the most common ground cover weeds in a lawn.

• Crabgrass - Digitaria ischamem and D.sanguinalis - Both of these varieties are arrive in the summer months and are their texture is smooth and hairy. They develop in clumps and spread out on turf grass. A solution is to apply some preemergent herbicide in the spring. If you live in an area that grows Forsythia, when the Forsythia is in full bloom, this is a good time to judge when to apply the herbicide.
• Common Chickweed - Stellaria Media - This is a cool season annual. This weed loves to grow throughout autumn into spring. Common Chickweed is low growing with branching stems that have yellow - green leaves and white star shaped flowers will blossom. Use a preemergent herbicide in fall and again in the spring.
• Dandelion - Turaxacum officinale - Perennial and leaves are broad and yellow flowers appear and develop into seed heads. This is one of the most annoying weeds in a landscape or lawn. Use a postemergent herbicide when any Dandelion appears. Another option is to dig by hand as long as you get the mother or tap root out.
• Black Medic - Medicago lupulina - An annual that spreads forming a dark green foliage that appears to be similar to clover. In the spring, tiny yellow flowers emerge and will result in black seeds. Black Medic is a common problem during dry periods. Apply a postemergent herbicide when the lawn or turf is not under stress.
• Ground Ivy - Glechoma hederacea - A perennial creeping plant that has round and scalloped edges. The stems are squared and purple flowers appear in the springtime. You can remove the Ivy by hand but you must get the tap root out. You can also apply a postemergent systemic herbicide when the Ivy appears.
• Wild Garlic - Wild Onion - Allium species - A perennial that has narrow, tall, green stems that appear in early spring. Plants develop into clumps and will multiply by underground bulblets. Apply a postemergent systemic herbicide when you see these plants appear.
• Red Sorrel - Rumex acetosella - This is a perennial plant that has an arrow-shaped, green leaves. In the late spring red to brown tone flowers appear. Each plant has a tap root and will quickly spread by the rhizomes. Red Sorrel is an evergreen in warm climate zones. Apply the postemergent systemic herbicide at the first sign of these plants.

The seven weeds represent some of the most common problems in properties today. As a landscaper and designer, I became certified in pests and weed control. Recommending and applying a safe chemical on a clients property was a very high priority to the crew and myself. When spraying your lawn or landscape gardens for weeds or pests, it is so important to know as much as you can about any chemicals you are using. Take the time to research each chemical and know the effects it will have not only on your weeds and pests, but on the total outside environment. If you are thinking about a make over in your yard or starting from scratch, a good article to read is sod versus seed. This will give you some options when you begin the planning of a lawn or landscape, as well as incorporating a maintenance program to ensure a healthy and happy outside environment at your home or business.