The average homeowner doesn’t have an on-staff groundskeeper to maintain their lawns, flowerbeds, vegetable or flower gardens, and especially one for Weed Control in Spokane. Homeowners are left to their own wits in the ongoing war against weeds that invade every crevice of their property. Weeds are seemingly indestructible, inhabiting areas where no other living plants is capable of growing. The first step in winning this war is to know what type of weed is the culprit. By definition, a weed is simply an unwanted plant.
* Broadleaf -: Otherwise known as monocots, these are by far the most prevalent weed type. Familiar examples include dandelions, white clover, chick and carpet weed, and ground ivy.
* Grassy -: Also known as dicots, these are called grassy because they look like grass. Truth is, they actually are grasses, but because they are invasive are often considered weeds. These have hollow stems with tiny flowers. Common varieties are barnyard grass, crabgrass, goose grass, and yellow foxtail.
* Sedges -: Sedges resemble grass but are not in the grass family. They favor wet locations such as marshes and bogs and can be identified by their un-jointed, solid stems. It is important to be able to identify sedges from true grass species as the majority of herbicides are ineffective against sedges. Left to their own, sedges are extremely invasive and grow rapidly. Common types are wild garlic or onion, purple nutsedge, and Star of Bethlehem.
Weed Control in Spokane for grassy weeds requires fast action. Grassy weeds are annuals. meaning they only live for one growing season, therefore, they can produce thousands of seeds that remain dormant until the next spring. Allowed enough time they will quickly overpower a lawn. A pre-emergent herbicide should be applied in the spring. To fight those already emerged a ready-to-use herbicide may be sprayed directly on the plant.
Controlling broadleaf weeds requires a different approach. The best control is achieved using a mixture of at least two herbicides applied from September to November. Broadleaf weeds, like other plants, start to store nutrients in their roots and stems as winter approaches. Applying an herbicide in the fall takes advantage of this and it too, will travel to the roots and stems. The next best time frame is late spring to early summer after the weeds have flowered. Use care when applying to avoid accidentally spraying nearby plants, trees, and flowers.
