Are you facing a weed problem in your lawn this winter? In this post, I’ll guide you on how to kill winter weeds…
Although you may feel like turning a blind eye and hope the weeds will vanish in spring, they won’t. If you don’t deal with them during winter, they’ll overwhelm you and destroy your lush lawn that has consumed much time to keep in top shape.
The best way is to deal with these weeds in your lawn during winter. This will help you kill them before germination.
In this article, we’ve created some top tips to help you eliminate winter weeds and prevent spring weed growth.
Additionally, we’ve listed a step-by-step guide on how to tackle the most common winter weeds.
Preventing Weed Growth
Prevention is better than cure. The following are some of the best ways to prevent weed growth;
Maintain Your Grass
To prevent stubborn weeds from germinating throughout the winter season in your lawn, it’s advisable to keep your lawn well maintained. Always keep your flower bed mulched and grass thick, which will prevent weed seeds from germinating. In the end, most nutrients will be used by the wanted plants.
Provide Healthy Roots
To maintain healthy and thick grass during winter, it’s best to consider the best way to maintain the roots. Without healthy roots, your plants will struggle to absorb the required nutrients, and this creates a good environment for weeds to germinate and thrive. To keep the roots healthy, ensure that they’re watered, fertilized, and mowed as required.
Use Good Sanitization
Adopting good sanitization will prevent the spreading of weed during winter. Several things can spread small weed seeds, so ensure that everything you have is as sterile and clean as possible since it will minimize the risk of weed growth.
Common Winter Weeds and How to Eliminate Them
Winter Grass
This is a low-growing turf grass with soft and drooping green leaves. If the winter grass seeds drop, next winter they will resurface, twice as bad as the previous season.
Broadleaf Weeds and Clover
Broadleaf weeds are the most widespread during winter, mainly because of their size. Although a healthy lawn with dense coverage will reduce the impact of weed invasion, weed with broad leaves will be visible when your yard is less active.
Onion Weed
This is one of the most stubborn winter weeds, and you should never use your hands to remove this weed. If you pull it by hand, the tiny bubs are left in the soil, which leads to onion weed multiplying. It’s challenging and time-consuming to get rid of onion weed since you cannot spray using selective herbicide. The best method to use is spot weeding.
Bindii
This is another annoying weed that causes pain when in contact with your bare feet. It is a low-growing weed with a prickly seed pod that hurts when trying to walk on your lawn during the warm months.
Creeping Oxalis
This type of winter weed has tiny light green leaves similar in appearance to clover. Creeping oxalis spreads along the soil’s surface and produces roots as it goes. Mature seed pods dry out and explode, thus releasing seeds to your lawn.
How to Kill Winter Weeds
Spot-Treat Broadleaf Weeds
Most winter weeds are broadleaf weeds and will remain growing and green during winter, even when your grass is dormant and brown. This means that they are easy to spot in your yard. You can spot-treat these weeds using natural weed killers like citrus-based organic weed killers or vinegar-based. Although they may not reach the roots, they are ideal for spring weed treatments. Since most natural weed killers are non-selective, the best time to apply them is during winter, when you can clearly differentiate weeds.
Adopt the Winter Weed and Feed
If your area receives mild winter, you can use a product that fertilizes your grass and at the same time kills weeds. Use a small layer of compost, fertilizer, or weed and feed during the winter season. This gives the nutrients sufficient time to soak into the soil when the grass is dormant, which means your yard will get back to life in spring. If you go for a weed and feed product during winter, you can eliminate weeds and boost your lawn at the same time.
Dig Them Up
If pulling out weeds manually seems like a daunting task, then you can dig out the persistent weeds. Use a digging fork or spade to eliminate stubborn weeds by the roots. You should remove as many weed roots as possible.
Reduce Open Garden Space
If your yard soil is rich and has good drainage, ensure that your plants are planted close together, this will minimize weed growth. If possible, plant cover crops such as winter wheat, oats, or rye grass to prevent weeds from growing.
Conclusion
Winter is a great time to kill the most invasive weeds. As the winter season approaches, invasive grasses and cold-resistant weeds can be identified easily. Always pick a method that is convenient and won’t harm your dormant grass.
Happy gardening!
