CONTROLLING YOUR LAWN FOR WEEDS
The green dye on a few yards around town is going to spark the interest of many homeowners and remind them that it is time to control weeds in their lawns. Homeowners should use caution, when hiring custom applicators to spray yards. Make sure you know the chemicals that are being applied and their mode of action. A few tips for weed control are:
- Roundup can be used this time of year as a spot treatment to kill weeds and grasses in driveways, walks, etc. or as a complete coverage herbicide to kill weeds and unwanted grasses in the lawn. Spraying roundup on lawns for weed control after the lawn begins to green up can be detrimental because Roundup kills anything that is green. It has no soil activity. It is a great product, but do not use it after green up begins.
- Best application at this time is a pre-emergence herbicide for spring and summer weeds. These products control weeds and annual grasses as the seed try to germinate. Products that can be used are Betasan, Balan, and Surflan. Surflan works well on winter grasses such as Rescue or Wild Rye while the other products can be used safely around trees and shrubs when applied properly. Be extremely cautious about using Atrazine as a pre-emergent. Atrazine will leach down into the root system of your trees and can damage the trees severely.
- For control of weeds that have already emerged, homeowners can use 2-4-D type products. These include Weed B Gone, Trimec, Weedone, Weedstroy, and many others. Caution should be used when applying these herbicides. Drift of these chemicals on to flowers, shrubs, or trees that have bloomed or leafed out can cause injury or death. Do not apply these products on windy days. These products are best used as spot treatments for small areas and not broadcast applications. MSMA can also be used on Bermuda grass only for control of winter rye, grass burs, and crabgrass.
- Weed and feed fertilizers, Atrazine, Liquid edgers and ground sterilants are good products when used properly, but these products are the most commonly misused because homeowners do not understand their chemical activity. These products leach into the ground, tree roots pick up the chemical, and it results in the death of many trees and shrubs. Do not apply these products close to trees or shrubs. Remember, your trees root system reaches out at least 1 ½ times to 2 times the canopy of the tree.
Educational programs conducted by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin. The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service is implied.