7 Common Mistakes That Make Weed Control Less Effective

Weeds are a formidable foe that can be hard to overcome. In the battle against weeds, you want to avoid any lawn care mistakes that could wind up being a setback or leading to more weeds.

Unfortunately, we have many different weeds in our region, and North Mississippi's mild climate means we rarely get a break.

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• What Are Some Common Mistakes When Removing Weeds?
• What Are Some Lawn Care Mistakes that Cause More Weeds?
• Can Bad Lawn Care Lead to Weed Problems?
• Choosing Lawn Weed Control in Tupelo, Oxford & New Albany, MS

Homeowners don’t always realize that the overall health of their lawn will definitely affect how much weed pressure they have. The healthier your lawn is, the more it will choke out weeds on its own.

In this article, we’ll dive into some of the common mistakes homeowners make with weed control, including general lawn care mistakes that can make weeds more prevalent.

What Are Some Common Mistakes When Removing Weeds?

Sometimes weed control mistakes occur during weed removal. Just like anything else, there are best practices to follow when removing weeds.

Hand-pulling weeds causes more weeds to sprout.

A common weed control mistake is hand-pulling weeds that really should not be extracted by hand.

Certain weeds, such as nutgrass, will spread when pulled. That’s because nutgrass (aka nutsedge) grows via underground tubers and nutlets. When a weed is pulled, this can stimulate those dormant underground tubers to sprout and spread!

It’s also tough to remove the entire weed when it has an extensive underground root system. That’s why you want to spray weeds: to allow the weed control product to percolate all the way down to the roots and kill the entire plant.

In addition to stimulating growth, when you pull weeds by hand, you can also end up spreading the seeds to create even more weeds than before. Jostling and disturbing weeds when you pull them can spray seeds into the air! You might just be shooting yourself in the foot.

Using the wrong weed control products wastes money.

It’s a lawn care myth that there is a one-size-fits-all product or solution for weeds.

Certain weeds require specific products to be controlled. There are even specialty controls that will specifically target difficult weeds.

Some weeds are also best prevented with pre-emergent products that inhibit germination. If you wait until a fast-growing weed like crabgrass has already spread to try to control it, it’s going to be really hard to get the problem contained.

If you are not using a varied weed-control approach tailored to what’s happening in your yard, you won't see success.

Your DIY approach saves money, but isn't effective.

If you’re using a DIY approach to weed control, you might not be having much success. There’s a lot of different homemade solutions out there, from vinegar to essential oil sprays…to more intense options like boiling water or torching weeds.

The problem with these methods? They don’t work. They might shrivel a weed up on top, but that won’t get the root. And some of them, like vinegar and torching, can also kill the surrounding grass. That can cause a lot more trouble for you.

Even store-bought weed control products are not nearly as effective as what a professional is going to be using. When it comes to such a frustrating problem as weeds, you want a high-quality, commercial-grade product. You don’t want to settle for a less-effective store-bought product.

Treating weeds at the wrong time of year yields poor results.

Another weed control mistake is incorrect application timing. It’s important to understand that different weeds germinate at different times of the year. That means you’ll need to do repeated applications throughout the year.

You’ll also need to switch up what you’re using, based on what’s growing at the time. Every season can bring different weeds, and our mild climate means we never really get a break.

What Are Some Lawn Care Mistakes that Cause More Weeds?

You might also be making lawn-care mistakes that are causing more weed growth. When a lawn is thin and stressed, it can be much more likely that weeds are going to take the opportunity to creep in.

Here are a few lawn care mistakes that we commonly see.

Improper mowing that harms grass and helps weeds.

People often fail to realize how much mowing can impact the overall health of their lawns. The most common mistake that we see is mowing the lawn too short.

The optimal lawn height for most sod species in North Mississippi is 1.5 to 2 inches. This height optimizes lawn health, growing thick and green and keeping weeds out.

We know that people love a short lawn. But cutting your lawn too short stresses it out, and it could be a common reason weeds are creeping in. Opportunistic weeds love thin areas of your lawn where they have plenty of access to sunlight.

Improper watering can feed weeds.

For your lawn to grow thick and healthy and crowd out weeds, it needs ample water. But people often fail to water their lawns properly. Both too much water and too little water can lead to trouble.

To water correctly, add about 2 inches of water weekly. When the weather doesn’t deliver what your lawn needs, you need to add water with an irrigation system or some other supplemental watering.

Poor soil that stifles grass and makes a home for weeds.

Weeds can often thrive in environments where healthy grass will struggle. This includes soil conditions. If your soil is compacted or the pH is off, it might be tough for healthy grass to grow.

But there are plenty of weeds that can deal with this.

For instance, clover likes to grow in lawns with an imbalanced soil pH or compacted soils. Correcting soil pH and using lawn aeration to alleviate compaction can improve overall lawn health and reduce the likelihood of weeds.

Can Bad Lawn Care Lead to Weed Problems?

Yes, as made clear above, some common lawn care mistakes can definitely lead to more weed growth. That’s because weeds are more likely to invade lawns that are thin and struggling…and where they don’t have to compete with healthy grass.

Because of this, you want to make sure that you’re practicing good lawn care habits and also partnering with a lawn care professional to help you get the best possible results for your lawn.

A lawn care pro will also have access to the best weed control products and strategies so that you can avoid weed control mistakes.

Choosing Lawn Weed Control in Tupelo, Oxford & New Albany, MS

To control weeds the right way, you’ll want to partner with the right lawn care professional. There’s nothing better than having a professional take over these services, as they’ll have access to the best weed-control products and be trained in the best approaches. They’ll also be able to help you with a complete lawn care program that will help you grow a thicker and healthier lawn that naturally chokes out weeds.

Your options certainly aren’t limited when it comes to lawn weed control in Tupelo, Oxford, and New Albany, MS. There are a lot of companies in our region that offer these services. However, you want to be sure that you choose a company that is going to treat you right.

You don’t want to have to make phone calls that go unanswered or work with a revolving door of technicians. You simply want to find a lawn care partner that you can trust.

At Lawn & Pest Solutions, we’re ready to help.

We can provide a complete, proactive lawn care program that includes everything you need to keep your lawn strong. By partnering with a pro, you won’t have to worry about lawn care mistakes that can lead to more weed pressure.

When you have a professional eye on your property who can recognize common lawn weeds in North Mississippi immediately and know how to address them, you can keep weeds in check before they get out of hand.

This adds up to valuable peace of mind for you.

Ready to learn why Lawn & Pest Solutions could be your choice for lawn care services in North Mississippi? We’re excited to learn more about you and help you have the best lawn on the block. Get started today with a free quote. Together, we can prepare a customized plan for you and your lawn.