We’ve all been there. You’re working hard to keep your North Mississippi lawn lush, green, and weed-free. You water just enough, and you mow to the right height.
But right across the property line, you see crabgrass, dandelions, and other unruly invaders creeping over like they own the place, threatening to take over that side and infiltrate your whole yard.
Before you let your neighbor’s weeds frustrate you faster than the weeds themselves, we have some good news. There are steps you can take to protect your lawn without sparking a neighborhood feud, including:
Let’s talk about what to do when your neighbor’s weeds are out of control and how lawn care and weed control in North Mississippi can help.
Dealing with a neighbor's weeds can be sensitive, but it doesn’t have to become a turf war.
With some friendly conversation, proper grass care, and the right professional lawn service partnership, you can keep your lawn thriving and your relationship intact.
First things first: talk to your neighbor.
You don’t want to accuse them of anything nefarious, but you can politely and casually share tips or ideas about common lawn weeds, even if you’re chatting over the fence.
Your neighbor may not even realize their weeds are causing a problem, so you don’t want to shame or blame them. Instead, mention you’ve noticed some weeds coming over and ask if they’d be open to syncing up on a weed control plan.
You can offer to share the name of your lawn care provider. You might even frame it as a team effort to improve the neighborhood.
If your neighbor’s weeds are consistently coming onto your property in a heavier way, and you’re not getting any traction with conversation or suggestions, consider some physical separation.
Mulch beds, for instance, with drought-tolerant plants or native grasses along the property line, can act as natural weed buffers and look great. But you may also have to fight weeds in your beds versus your lawn, so that’s something to consider.
A low fence or decorative screen may help limit wind-blown seeds and mark your turf. But you’ll want to check any homeowners’ association rules first to ensure you follow any community fence rules.
North Mississippi weeds love weak spots. A sparse lawn is a welcome mat for weeds.
The stronger your grass, the less room common lawn weeds have to take root.
How do you strengthen your lawn? Start by watering wisely. Deep, infrequent watering helps roots grow deeper.
Next, focus on proper mowing. This helps keep your lawn thick, shades weed seeds, and slows their growth. When you mow, you never want to remove more than one-third of the grass blade at any time so as not to negatively impact your lawn’s health.
Mowing like this ensures your grass stays fuller and thicker and fights weeds better, even during the hottest, driest times of the year. Also, remember to regularly sharpen your mower blades to ensure you’re cutting the grass and not tearing it.
Neighbor weeds don’t respect property lines, so you need to be proactive, especially along the borders of your lawn.
Premergent herbicide in early spring helps stop seeds before they sprout, and post-emergent weed control can knock out anything that sneaks in.
The best option is to work with a local lawn care service provider who understands North Mississippi’s weeds and growing conditions.
We hope it never comes to this, but if your neighbor’s weeds become a serious nuisance, keeping a record may be a good idea.
For instance, if weeds are growing several feet into your property or become so bad they are negatively impacting your landscape investments, that’s not a great situation. Taking photos and tracking communication efforts can help if you ever need to inform the homeowners’ association or if it becomes a city ordinance issue.
Kindness and collaboration always go a long way in handling these issues.
Now that you know how to deal with a situation when your neighbor’s weeds are out of control, it’s time to look at some of the weeds you may be dealing with most.
These common weeds in North Mississippi can be problematic, especially when they take over your neighbor’s lawn and creep over the property line into yours.
This opportunistic annual weed is a big seed producer. If left to grow unchecked, it will migrate from your neighbor’s yard into your beloved lawn. It grows in thick, unattractive clumps and can get out of control in June and July. It loves thin areas and tends to bully out the good grass and then leave bare areas in its wake, giving it a place to return the next growing season.
The best way to tackle this tough weed is through properly timed preemergent weed control applications (which are applied before the weed emerges when it’s best controlled). Then you can catch any crabgrass that breaks through with postemergent herbicide applications.
This common lawn weed looks like crabgrass, but is a perennial weed that returns yearly if you don’t take care of it. This clumping grass has greenish-gray leaves.
Preemergent herbicides applied at the right time, in addition to using post-emergent weed control for dallisgrass that does germinate, are good strategies for keeping this weed away.
This weed can grow faster than grass, making it stand out as a taller, visually unappealing addition to your yard. This perennial will return yearly if you don’t get a handle on it.
And these aggressive weeds that arrive like to steal nutrients and water from your regular lawn, which isn’t great for your mission to improve your yard’s appearance.
Poa annua, or annual bluegrass, is an annual grass that spreads easily to infest your lawn after it gets into your neighbor’s lawn. With a lighter, brighter green color, a softer texture, and blades that curl toward their centers, these weeds can make your lawn look rather patchy.
What’s worse, this weed can germinate 12 months out of the year, with most of this happening in the fall. Preemergent herbicide applications in late summer/early fall can help tackle this.
This common lawn weed has dark, green, circular leaves with red and purple dots. While it germinates in mid-spring, it thrives in summer’s heat. Flowers bloom on this weed from June through September, worsening its condition. If you have weaker, thinner lawn areas, spurge will take over, forming thick matted areas that can reach 3 feet across.
It can spread easily from your neighbor’s yard since it produces thousands of seeds per plant. To battle this problematic weed, your lawn care professional will use precisely timed broadleaf weed control when plants are young; early detection of spurge is important.
This little white-flowered weed will choke out your lawn if given the chance. It also attracts bees, which become an additional nuisance. Thick, properly fertilized lawns can crowd out clover.
Clover also likes to grow in lawns with low pH or compacted soils. Correcting soil pH and aeration can improve overall lawn health and reduce the likelihood of clover and other lawn weeds dominating. Using preemergent weed control can help prevent this weed from taking over.
As a broadleaf perennial weed, dandelion is well-known for its bright yellow flowers. It likes moist soil and sunlight, but can thrive in many conditions. This common lawn weed’s seeds travel well on the wind and by birds, so it can easily come to your yard from your neighbor’s yard.
Using a preemergent herbicide at the right time can help prevent dandelions, and a selective broadleaf weed control product can help control the dandelions that break through.
We grow Bermudagrass lawns here in North Mississippi, but Bermudagrass is considered a weed when it appears in Zoysia, Centipede, St. Augustine or Fescue lawns. Due to its different appearance, Bermudagrass stands out as unsightly in these lawns.
Bermudagrass has thin, soft grass blades, while other grasses like St. Augustine have tall, thick grass blades. This weed requires a targeted control approach at specific points in the growing season.
Ready to tackle your neighbor’s weeds before they take over your North Mississippi lawn?
If you see weeds emerge and you’ve tried the strategies above but can’t seem to control them, Lawn & Pest Solutions can help.
We can provide a complete, proactive lawn care program that includes everything you need to keep your lawn strong – proper fertilization, preemergent and postemergent herbicide weed control strategies, aeration, insect and disease control scouting, and tips on proper mowing and watering.
We can help you control weeds before they get out of hand … and ensure you’re still talking to your neighbor afterward.
Ready to learn why Lawn & Pest Solutions could be your choice for lawn care and weed control 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.