There is still lawn work to be done this fall. This is the time to make sure winter weeds don’t invade your lawn.
Weeds that grow in the cooler seasons can still prevent a problem for lawns. That’s because winter weeds begin germinating when temperatures drop during the fall. They tend to grow slowly and sit during the winter months, waiting to do their lawn damage. Once spring grows around, they tend to grow rather quickly. Then it’s time for weed damage control. That can get costly and frustrating.
Getting a jump on weed control in the fall will save you time and money in the spring.
For one thing, younger weeds tend to be easier to get rid of than older weeds. Older weeds are larger and more rooted in the ground. It can take greater amounts of herbicide to fix the problem because larger weeds are harder to kill.
Older weeds can also cause seed heads to develop on plants. This can mean a lot of weed seeds in your yard.
Another reason why fall weed control is so important is because of the growth timeline of the weeds. Fall is the time when weeds begin moving carbohydrates to the roots for winter storage. This helps the growth of the weeds as they strengthen and mature. Herbicides applied during the fall can help stop this growth process. When the herbicides are applied during the fall, the chemicals travel to the roots along with those carbohydrates. This means the entire weed can be eliminated in its early stages, before it has a chance to grow and cause greater problems once spring rolls around.
This should not cut into any other fall lawn maintenance. The lawn will still need water and likely leaf removal before the arrival of cold winter weather.