Controlling Weeds in Colder Months

Posted on: November 30th, 2021

Treating your yard in the fall in a cold climate will prevent weeds the following spring. Herbicides added before or after the first frost can often help keep down weeds. The common winter weeds are chickweed, henbit, dandelions, and grassweed.

Fall Weed Control for Cold Winters

In the early fall, before any frost, remove weeds from the yard or garden with the help of weed control services like Watson’s Weed Control and treat the area with a recommended herbicide from your garden center. When the ground freezes for more than four hours, a herbicide is not effective for eliminating weeds. They should be used when the temperature during the day is 50 degrees and above. This will prevent weeds from occurring again. Apply mulch to keep the weeds from growing again after applying pesticides.

When you dig out weeds, get all of them, including roots. They must be disposed of after they are dug out. Simple hand tools for gardening work well in removing weeds.  Chemical herbicides may be the best ones to kill off weeds in the colder months. Ask your garden center to recommend an all-natural herbicide to use if you prefer that for weed control.

Warmer Winters and Weed Control

In warmer climates, weeds can grow more easily on the lawn and in the garden. Chickweed is a common weed, and you can dig it up or apply an herbicide recommended by your garden or lawn service. To get rid of chickweed, mow your lawn in warmer climates and keep the grass thick. This helps to prevent weeds. Henbits may become a problem with sparse lawns and newly planted lawns in warm or cold climates. You will want to spray henbit in the spring with a recommended herbicide. The herbicide should be suited to cooler temperatures and digging up the weeds is another option.

Dandelions are another weed that grows in lawns and mowing them before they produce seeds helps to eliminate them. You will have to root them out to get rid of them. They do have special tools called dandelion diggers you can buy to do this. Bluegrass is another weed that can take over the lawn when you do not mow it high. Small amounts can be removed manually but you will need an herbicide when you have a large infestation.

Weed control in the winter in cold and warm climates is important to keep your lawn and garden healthy. Call your local weed control or lawn service to learn more about fall and winter weed control tactics.