Weed/wed/ noun
- a wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants. A plant out of place.
Now is the perfect time to nip it in the bud, figuratively and literally. Work extra hard now to control weeds and life will be a little easier down the road.
In the Garden
Pre-emergent – Preen
Application Tips
First remove any existing weeds that may be growing. Then apply Preen Garden Weed Preventer using the easy-to-use bottle with flip-top applicator-cap. When plants are dry, sprinkle the product granules on top of the soil or mulch at the rate recommended on the label. Use a rake to work the granules into the top layer of soil or mulch. Once activated by watering, it forms a weed control barrier in the top layer of soil, preventing weed seeds from germinating. Disturbance to the soil surface after activation may result in erratic weed control.
Application around established plants
For flowers, roses, herbs, ground covers, ornamental grasses, shrubs, trees, and listed vegetables at least 2-3 inches tall, sprinkle Preen Garden Weed Preventer evenly over the entire soil surface at the rate of 1 oz per 10 sq. ft. Be sure to keep granules away from plant roots and foliage. Integrate with a rake and then immediately water. Always wash or brush off stray weed preventer granules from plant foliage to avoid damage or discoloration.
Application around mulch
If using standard mulch (and not Preen Mulch with Extended Control Weed Preventer which includes weed prevention), we recommend applying Preen Garden Weed Preventer after spreading the mulch on your flower and shrub beds for best weed control. Sprinkle Preen on top of the mulch and integrate with a rake. Be sure to keep granules away from plant foliage. Immediately water this product into the mulch. Always wash or brush off stray granules from plant foliage to avoid damage or discoloration.
Post-emergent
Over the Top/Grass-B-Gone – Selective herbicide to kill grass growing through herbaceous perennials. Mix concentrate in pump-up sprayer. Apply early while grass is growing. Takes 3 weeks for grass to fade away.
Brush & Stump Killer – non-selective for woody weeds i.e. shrubs and trees. Mix concentrate in pump-up sprayer, apply as directed.
In the Lawn
Pre-Emergent
Fertilome For All Seasons One of the most effective ways to control weeds in your lawn is to prevent any new weed seeds from germinating; including crabgrass. For All Seasons will also give an early feed as the turf is coming out of dormancy.
Bonide DuraTurf for lawns with pre & post emergent control.
Post-Emergent
Fertilome Weed-Out/ Weed Free Zone – post emergent for broadleaf weed control in the lawn or spot sprays. Weed Free Zone for cool weather application. Hose end or trigger spray application.
Weed Control in Driveway and Sidewalk cracks
Clean up concrete surfaces by digging out weeds with a sharp tool such as a dandelion digger, flat trowel, or Hori-Hori knife.
Fertilome Killz-All or Bonide Kleen Up. A quick and easy control method is to spray these weeds with a non-selective weed control herbicide such as Non-Selective means it will kill or injure any type of plant it meets including grasses and broadleaf plants. KillzAll may be applied as a ready to use spray already mixed in a spritzer bottle. Or for larger applications, it may be applied as a ready to spray form when the concentrate is mixed with water in a portable pump-up sprayer. Label this sprayer to be used only for herbicides as the residue could carry over to other types of applications.
Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer available with alternative active ingredient.
Caution – this means not only weeds, but desirable plants such as your lawn, annuals and perennial flowers, shrubs and trees will be killed or injured if exposed to KillzAll. The name says it all, so please be aware when applying this product.
Weed Control in the Flower and Vegetable Garden
Manually removal of weeds by pulling or digging will work best. Find a tool that works well for you. Consider using the digger or trowel to loosen up the roots so that the weed may be pulled from the ground more easily. Flor larger weeds, consider using a spade or shovel to do the same thing. Divide the garden into segments and tackle just one segment at a time so as not to be overwhelmed by the task. Do one segment each day until completed.
The most important consideration is to begin early in the season before the weeds get large. Small weeds are easy to remove if you work on one segment at a time. Large weeds will take longer to remove making the task tougher. Start early and keep it up through the season.
Consider using a mulch to help keep the weeds down and hold moisture in the soil. Bark mulch is easy to use, apply and maintain. And it looks pleasing as well. Rock mulch looks nice but requires more work to apply and maintain. Weed barrier fabrics may be used at planting time for areas that will not be disturbed again for some time as it is sometimes difficult to cut through the fabric for future plantings. A light layer of grass clipping will make for a good mulch in the vegetable garden. Each week, spread another thin layer over the soil between plants.
