1. Mowing height. Probably the cheapest and easiest thing you can do is to maintain a mowing height between 3” and 3 ½”. The higher cut reduces the amount of sunlight getting directly to weed seeds. This is particularly true when it comes to defending against crabgrass. Rarely will you find crabgrass in the center of a properly maintained lawn. It is found mostly on the edges where the turf has been trimmed too short.
2. Fertilize. Keep the turf fed properly. With the advent of polyon type fertilizers in the last decade, there is no longer a need to fertilize every 6 to 8 weeks. These heat and moisture time released products can last up to 4 months, which can significantly reduce nitrogen runoff, while maintaining a good colour throughout the growing season. A spring and fall application is generally all that is required.
3. Proper Irrigation. This can’t be stressed enough. Preventing the lawn from drying out and wilting will help ensure a minimum weed population and always keep the grass in a growing condition. Refer to your Yates Sprinklers Owners Manual for the proper settings for your sprinklers. Refer to it here: Yates Sprinklers Owners Manual. Avoid overwatering too, as this can lead to issues with disease and other types of weed grasses.
4. Spot treat with Iron based herbicides (Weed Be-Gone™, Fiesta™, etc.) as necessary. These products can be very effective when used properly. Ideally, they should used between early May through late September. They act very quickly (<48 hours) but won’t last particularly long. Where weeds are abundant, you can retreat as necessary every 2 to three weeks, until the rest of your management practices takes their effect.
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