War Against Winter Weeds

Even the most well-manicured lawn can suffer from weeds. As your grass goes into its dormant phase during the winter, it is critical with your lawn maintenance that you be on the lookout and treat signs of weeds early so that they do not take advantage of your entire lawn by Spring. Winter weeds can compete for water, space, nutrients and light in your landscape. Did you know that the definition of a weed is any plant that is growing where you do not want it to grow? Botanically, however, weeds can be broken down into three main categories:

• Broadleaf (ex. dandelion)
• Grassy (ex. crabgrass)
• Grass-like (ex. wild onion)

The difficulty with weeds is that they can survive virtually anywhere in your yard and they spread quickly. Weeds can spread by wind, animals, water and even lawn equipment. You may have weed seeds in your yard right now that you don’t even know about. Many weeds can be dormant for years before they reach the soil’s surface and emerge.

Properly identifying your weeds can be the first step to effective treatment and prevention. The following are some common winter weeds you can expect to see in Georgia:

• Annual Bluegrass
• Dandelion
• Henbit
• Common Chickweed
• Virginia Pepperweed

A landscaping professional such as Pannone’s Lawn Pros & Landscaping can properly identify your type of weeds and treat them accordingly before they overpower your entire lawn. The best time to attack winter weeds is when they are young, tender and growing. Most likely, your lawn will be treated with a pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicide. It is recommended that you call a landscaper as soon as you notice a weed problem because the timing of these herbicide weed treatments is critical. Applying them too early or too late can be a waste of time and money.