Proactive Lawn Care Eliminates Other-Side-of-the-Fence Envy

Grass may be turning brown in sync with the turning temperatures, but staying on top of lawn care during cooler months can mean lush, weed-free yards come spring, which would be welcome news to homeowners surrounded by manicured meadows, like those in homes in Rob Roy or Austin waterfront homes. Proactive herbicide weed control for lawns is the key to headache-free turf when green grass returns in the spring.

Dandelions, other broadleaf weeds, grassy weeds, grass burrs, and crabgrass are a curse that crop up in lawns across Texas that many home owners must deal with annually. The key to weed control is being proactive, according to Dr. Paul Baumann, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state weed specialist.

“A primary part of any weed-management program is starting with a good healthy lawn,” Baumann said. “Do the things you need to help the grass grow,” he said, which includes proper fertility based on a soil test, insect control, and disease control. Anything that weakens the turf makes it less vigorous and less competitive with weeds.

A good fertility program will minimize the need for a weed-control program because Texas’ warm-season perennial grasses are very competitive and usually out-compete most of the weeds that might become an issue. However, if weed control is needed, Baumann said there are many products available for the control of crabgrass, grass burrs, junglerice or goosegrass that can be applied in late winter or early spring, in time to activate before germination of those weeds in the late spring or early summer months.

The key is a proactive plan to get weed prevention and elimination products on to a lawn before the weeds become an issue. Grassy weeds can be extremely difficult for a homeowner to remove chemically because it involves trying to selectively kill a grass weed in a grass crop. Baumann recommends the use of a pre-emergence herbicide to control grassy weeds.

The good news for homeowners is that if broadleaf weeds, like dandelions, are the problem, they are a lot easier to fix. There are a number of broadleaf herbicides that can be applied foliar in a remedial approach. A foliar application can take the weeds out of a turf grass situation without hurting the grass, whether it is in a dormant period and the winter broadleaf weeds have shown up or during the summer growing season.

If a flourishing lawn is part of your dream home, a respected and qualified Austin REALTOR can help locate the perfect patch of green surrounding an Austin home for sale. If lawn care is not your forte, a REALTOR also can help find an ideal home with maintenance free landscaping, like the condos on Lake Austin.