Weed Control in Lawns - Start Now!

Host: Joanna Coles, Warren County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources

Guest: Kenneth Clayton, Agriculture Extension Associate Senior

Topic: Lawn Weed Control

Joanna Coles visits with Kenneth Clayton to discuss lawn weed control. When thinking of weed control, “spring is better than summer, but fall is best of all.” After the first frost in the fall and after winter annuals have germinated, you can kill perennials and winter annuals at the same time. Our desirable grasses are growing well, and there are also less chances of damaging the landscape plants that have lost leaves. A dense, healthy lawn is the best for defense against weeds. Don’t fertilize in the summer. You can use pre-emergence in the fall for winter annual weeds but definitely in the spring for crabgrass and goosegrass. Know your weeds and desirable grass. Don’t spray something that will damage your desired grass! If the only weeds present are crabgrass, frost will kill it anyway – you don’t need to spray in fall. If clover, dandelion, and henbit are an issue, use a 3-way herbicide, broad spectrum (24D alone is not good on clover). 3-way 24D, MCPP, and diacamba give a good kill of a broad spectrum. For wild violet and ground ivy, use triclopyr.