prevent winter weeds kansas

How to Prevent Invasive Winter Weeds

Are you tired of having weeds pop up throughout your lawn during the winter? If you want to prevent winter weeds, you have to make sure your grass stays healthy. The first step to achieve this is by fertilizing your lawn and treating the weeds during the fall. However, there are some other methods you can use. Keep reading to learn how to keep weeds out of your yard this winter.

Kill the Weeds Before They Sprout

You can use pre-emergent herbicide to kill weed seeds and seedlings before they have the chance to emerge from the ground. To be even more effective, it may be necessary for you to start this treatment during the latter part of the summer or early fall. According to experts, this treatment is most effective if used during the mid-part of September.

Types of Pre-Emergent Herbicides

Some of the most common types of pre-emergent herbicides include:

  • Rimsulfuron
  • Ethofumesate
  • Isoxaben
  • Prodiamine
  • Pendimethalin
  • Oxadiazon
  • Oryzalin
  • Dithiopyr
  • Benefin

Post-Emergent Weed Control

If you didn’t act fast enough to keep weeds from sprouting, don’t worry, there’s still hope. One way to get rid of winter weeds after they have emerged is to pull them out using a hoe or by hand.

On the other hand, there are herbicides that can be used for both pre- and post-emergent activity. Some of the examples of the herbicides that you can use for post-emergent weed control include:

  • Metribuzin
  • Simazine
  • Metribuzin

However, if you use these herbicides too often, it may result in the lawn becoming resistant to them.

Tips for Post-Emergent Use

If you want to treat your weeds after they have emerged from the ground, there are a few tips that you need to keep in mind. These include:

  • Smaller weeds are going to be more effectively treated than bigger ones
  • You should water your lawn 24 to 48 hours after the treatment is applied
  • Don’t mow your lawn for a minimum of 24 to 48 hours after the application of the herbicide
  • Only use for actively growing weeds
  • Rotate the type of pesticides that you use to help prevent resistance

Careful Planning is Key

If you are serious about keeping weeds out of your lawn this winter, make sure you plan carefully. You also need to start doing this early, as this is going to help ensure you can easily get rid of them.

Call the Professionals to Help Prevent Winter Weeds

If you aren’t confident in your ability to properly use these herbicides or if you have used them and there are still weeds in your yard, then it is a clear sign that it is time to reach out to the pros at Kansas Turfmasters. We can inspect your lawn and recommend the best course of action to get rid of existing weeds and make sure they don’t come back. Hiring a quality landscape professional is going to help ensure the desired and long-lasting results wanted are achieved.