While spring can bring new blossoms and colors to your property, they’re sometimes accompanied by an onslaught of weeds. These unsightly plants will steal nutrients from your lawn. Preventive action is the most effective form of weed control, so make sure you’re performing the proper maintenance tasks. Use this guide to learn more about these unwanted growths so you’ll know how to handle them.

Why Weeds Grow

A plant is considered a weed if it starts to grow in the yard unintentionally. Some common weeds are dandelions, crabgrass, and quack grass.

These opportunistic plants reproduce by creating thousands of seeds and spreading through the area with the help of the wind. The breeze picks up the seeds and carries them a short distance, where they take root. An untreated infestation in your neighbor’s yard could become a problem for you.

Weeds are hardy, and they can germinate and take root in many different areas. However, some conditions can accelerate their growth. These include compacted soil, thinning patches, and well-soaked sections of grass.

How to Prevent Them

While you can’t stop the wind from blowing seeds into your yard, you can create less desirable conditions for them to take root. Keep the lawn as dense and lush as possible by seeding the thin areas in the early fall of each year. Fertilize regularly and have the lawn aerated every year for stronger grass.

You should also raise your mowing height; the blades on your mower should be set at around 2.5 inches. Change your watering habits if needed to avoid oversaturating the lawn.

Overwatering loosens the soil and makes it easier for seeds to settle in. Setting the sprinklers for 30 minutes each morning, for example, is better than leaving them on for a couple of hours twice a week.

If weeds have invaded your lawn, the professionals at Down to Earth Landscaping & Snow Removal will remove them and ensure the grass is healthy enough to avoid future problems. Their team offers a full array of weed control services to keep yards beautiful and healthy throughout North Pole, AK, and the surrounding areas. Their lawn maintenance services include weed control, mowing, fertilizing, and aerating. Buy their mulch online, or call (907) 488-4232 for an estimate.