The way to Kill Weeds for an Extended Time

Removing weeds can look like an endless struggle, but landscape fabric, mulches and herbicides provide control for an extended time. Perennial and annual weeds invade garden beds, lawns, paths and driveways, and after removal frequently reappear within days. Perennial weeds regrow away from their roots and annual weeds sprout from seeds in dirt. Covering weeds using light-excluding barriers or applying systemic, pre-emergent and selective weedkillers controls weeds over the long run. To avoid contaminating ground water using herbicides in runoff from hardscaping, utilize glyphosate and pre-emergent herbicides, which can be inactivated by soil or cling to it.

Landscape Fabric and Mulches

In established garden beds and borders, landscape fabric and mulches provide effective permanent, nonchemical weed management. Weeds grow in the spaces between desirable plants, however, landscape fabric and mulch supply a barrier that hardened can’t penetrate, and eventually they die from lack of light. Pull up or cut existing weeds and place the debris in the yard waste may. Spread landscape fabric between the plants, overlapping the borders by 3 to 4 inches. Spread a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch in addition to avoiding desirable plant stems since this may lead to rotting. Mulching materials include shredded bark, cocoa hulls and wood chips. Examine the mulch once a month and leading it up since it thins out, and pull up any stray weed seedlings that appear on the flux surface.

Systemic Herbicides

Systemic herbicides control perennial weeds for an extended time. Perennial weeds regrow away from their roots year after year, which makes them hard to control, but systemic herbicides, such as glyphosate, control the roots as well as the leading growth. Treat perennial weeds with glyphosate once the plants are actively growing therefore satisfactory herbicide is transferred to their roots. Put on long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and gloves, and spray a ready-to-use 2 percent glyphosate product on all of the weed components on a dry, still afternoon, or apply the herbicide according to the manufacturer’s directions. Glyphosate also harms desired plants, therefore protect nearby plants using cardboard and do not remove it before the herbicide dries.

Pre-Emergent Herbicides

Pre-emergent herbicides prevent weed seeds from sprouting for two to three months or even more. Most garden soils contain weed seeds and they sprout whenever the conditions are appropriate, but pre-emergent herbicides produce a protective barrier on the soil surface that prevents seedlings from growing. Put on protective clothes, and spread a ready-to-use, granular 1.71 percent pendimethalin product in a speed of 4 oz per 125 square feet, or according to the directions on the label. If it doesn’t rain within 48 hours, water the area thoroughly. Put on the item before bud seeds generally sprout, but do not apply it over twice each year. Pre-emergent herbicides affect most other seeds and young plants, and thus don’t use them where you plan to sow desirable plant seeds, and do not disturb the soil because this makes pre-emergent herbicides less effective.

Selective Herbicides

Perennial broad-leaved weeds invade lawns but selective, systemic herbicides provide permanent control. Selective, systemic herbicides target particular bud types and control weed roots, preventing them from regrowing. A ready-to-use herbicide product containing 7.59 percent 2,4-D, 1.83 percent mecoprop controls broad-leaved weeds in lawns without damaging the grass. Put on protective clothing, and spray on the lawn once the weeds are actively growing on a dry, still day. Apply the item in a speed of 5 fluid ounces per 1,000 square feet, or according to the manufacturer’s directions. To control weed seedlings in established lawns utilize a pre-emergent herbicide such as pendimethalin. Poorly maintained lawns are most likely to be invaded by weeds, so mow, water and fertilize yours properly.

See related