With a little time and care, having a beautiful, weed-free lawn in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland area is easier than you may think. We have four easy lawn care tips that will have your lawn greener, brighter, and weed-free in no time.
Control Weeds Naturally
Pre-emergent herbicides work very well to prevent weeds in the spring before they ever have an opportunity to take root and flourish. Corn gluten meal also works to control weeds and has the added benefit of adding nitrogen to the soil. Nitrogen is essential for grass health and adding it naturally is a great by-product of this natural weed killer.
To get the maximum effect from applying corn gluten meal to your lawn, go for the recommended 10 to 20 pounds of gluten meal applied per 1,000 square feet. Choose a corn gluten meal product that is labeled as a pre-emergent herbicide to your lawn in the spring. The application will feed your turf on a steady diet of grown inducing nitrgen while preventing dormant weed seeds, like crabgrasses, from germinating. This application will also prevent dropped seeds from broad leaf weeds from taking root and will nourish the grass so well as to leave little space for weeds to grow. Be aware that this application works best on the actual lawn, not on walkways where established weeds are already present. Treating those weeds with corn gluten meal will only feed them, not kill them. If you still need professional help with weed control, a specialist can help.
Re-Seed Your Lawn Regularly
Weeds need room to take root and grow in order to take over your lawn. If you re-seed your lawn periodically, it will be harder for those nasty weeds to take over. Layer a little compost into the lawn first, add grass seed of your choice, and then protect the area from foot traffic for a few weeks. Your new seedlings should take root and fill in some of the bare spaces between the existing grasses which will choke out future weeds.
Add Clover to the Mix
While many homeowners use a commercial fertilizer in the spring and fall to add valuable nitrogen to the soil, what a more natural option? Clover adds nitrogen to the soil as it grows and leaves less space for weeds to take root! Who knows, maybe you will also produce your own crop of lucky four leaf clovers!
Allow Your Grass to Grow Longer
The key to a lusher lawn may be leaving it a little longer. Adding a few days between mowing cycles, or simply raising the mower deck to leave the grass longer, will help keep your grasses healthier. Longer grasses keep the soil from losing valuable nitrogen and also retain moisture better, encouraging root growth and preventing grass from drying out and turning yellow.
A lush yard in Vancouver can be accomplished with these four tips. A neatly manicured, weed-free lawn amps up curb appeal and makes your house a home.
