Is It Ever Too Late to Deal with Fall Weeds?
Now that fall has arrived, many homeowners are focused on football games, cool nights, and fewer yard tasks to tackle every week. However, lawn care is a year-round job that isn’t over just yet. The lower temperatures and shorter days prompt fall weeds and perennials, like Canada thistle, marestail, and dandelion, to prepare for winter by transferring sugars to their roots. Homeowners should take action to prevent these weeds from establishing stronger roots and prevent new weeds from germinating.
Steps to Treat Fall Weeds
If you’re ready to treat fall weeds, follow these steps to tackle them most effectively.
- Identify the weed.
It’s impossible to know how to treat a weed if you don’t know the type. Inspect weeds in the backyard. Canada thistle survives for years and has serrated leaves, can grow two to four feet tall, and has a purple flower. Dandelions are well-known for their yellow flower. And marestail, also known as horseweed, can be identified by its urn-shaped flowers and bristly stem. - Remove weeds manually.
Some weeds can be removed easily by hand. As long as you can remove the roots, they are less likely to grow back. However, many weeds will require treatment to kill them and prevent them from returning next year. - Apply the right herbicides.
Not every weed can be treated the same. There are several types of chemicals to choose from. Common options to treat fall weeds include Isoxaben and Atrazine. There are also several herbicides to consider, including pre-emergent and post-emergent options.
Types of Herbicides
To be the most effective, it is important to choose the right herbicide before treating your lawn.
- Pre-emergent
These herbicides are best used to treat weeds that have not germinated yet. If you already see weeds in the backyard, this option won’t be effective. - Post-emergent
Post-emergent herbicides are used to treat weeds that are already growing in the lawn. - Hybrid
There are available options that include the benefits of both types of herbicides, attacking all of your potential weed problems at once.
Best Time to Treat Fall Weeds
Fall is a great time to treat for weeds. However, there are optimal temperatures homeowners should consider. Apply herbicides before a weed’s leaves have died off for best results. It is also recommended that treatments be applied during the day when temperatures are above 50 degrees.
If you are struggling to treat fall weeds, contact Perennial Lawn Care today. We can help with fall lawn care for weeds in addition to applications for pest control.
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