Watering – This is the very first important component for lawn care. Water is not just important for human beings but also very much needed by your lawns. At least 6 to 8 inches of deep into the soil is required to deeply penetrate it to its roots to grow. This may also have different variations according to the type of soil. To have a healthy lawn, grass should not be left dry. Water your lawn early in the morning before the sun rise so it wont easily evaporate and will make a cooling effect to the grass especially during the season of summer.

Mowing – This component helps grass expand more and grow healthy. However, it should not be cut down too short,it should maintain regular length for the grass to easily absorb nutrients and grow thicker so as not to be susceptible to lawn diseases or weeds. The recommended time to mow your lawn is during its growing period. For cool season grasses, it would be best to maintain 3 inches tall and 2.5 inches tall for warm season grasses. But during the season of summer, let it stay long to serve as shade for the soil.

Fertilizing – the most basic component is feeding your lawn to protect them diseases and maintain its nutrients. Spreading granular fertilizer would promote healthy growth at least two times annually. Or if you choose to go organic it will also be best for the lawn.

Aerating – In traffic areas from your lawn, it needs to aerate for the soil to breath and absorb enough nutrients, That will enrich them to grow and produce green lush grass. Aerating it periodically will best for the lawn.

De-thatching – As most people do believe that it composed of grass clippings but a true thatch is compose of culms and crowns that dried out normally. This helps also save water in soil because they block evaporation process.but too much thatch is not also good since it hinders air and water to the soil. Therefore, it is best to de-thatch the excess of it.

Weeding – This is the process wherein you can detect easily that your grass needs your help. It means it is weak when you see lots of weeds grow in your lawn. This shows that you have cut down grass too short that water in your soil is logged.

Fighting Disease – A sick lawn simply shows that your lawn is being invade by pests. When this happens, you should take immediate action, order to eliminate pests within your lawn. They should be treated with pesticides or fungicide to stop them from attacking to your lawn.

Image Source: Greenline Company

Weeds are also plants that just grow in wrong places like that you see growing with your lawn if not properly monitored or maintained. They are called the native plants since they could well adopt in the environment that they grow. For longer years, their seeds could lie dormant in the soil although sometime they could also be medicinal or decorative. Thus, this must be controlled to have a healthy green lawn you longed for.

Below are the 5 tips on how to reduce weeds in your lawn

1. Correct Mowing – Maintaining an appropriate height for your lawn could help you brush away the weeds that grow in your lawn.
2. Mowing Frequency – Mowing regularly could remove flowing seed parts of weeds growing to make it harder for them to grow on the next crop and will help you achieve your go encourage al for for a healthy lawn.
3. Soils play a factor in weed control – soils that are wet, dry and compacted, these mostly the growth of weeds since the grass struggles on these kind of soil.
4. Soil Fertility is a factor – Soils that are poor and unfertilized are more prone to weeds growth. Turfgrasses do require some nutrients for best growth.
5. Practicing good lawn maintenance – this is the most recommended method for weed control for your lawn care.

Technically, weeds are annual or perennial plants growing where they are unwanted. As long as soil provides the necessary environment for plants to grow, weeds will grow too. Most soils already contain dormant weed seeds which only need the right germinating conditions to sprout.

Weeds are classified into 2 groups:

Broad-leafed Weeds - The term “broad-leafed weeds” describes all weeds that are not grass-like. Many of these broad-leafed weeds, like chickweed and spotted spurge, have leaves only the size of large freckles.

Grassy Weeds - Any grass that destroys the even texture and uniform color of a lawn is considered a weed grass. The list of these grassy weeds is long. Some of the most common grassy weeds are: annual bluegrass, bermuda grass, crabgrass,dallisgrass, quackgrass, and rye grass. With the exception of Bermuda grass and quackgrass, you can pull grassy weeds by hand or with a steel weed knife. To combat more tenacious grassy weeds, you can choose from an assortment of chemical weed killers.

To treat for weeds in your lawn, you have to understand the type of weed that you have. Since different type weeds require different types of treatment.

“Weed control is more than making a pretty yard. Weeds compete with grasses for water and nutrients,” says Walheim. “A well-cared-for, vigorous lawn will resist weed invasions.”

Below are the five steps to keep your yard in top shape for weed resistance:

1. Mow high – Mow the upper end portion of the required height for the type of your grass encourages deeper roots and better heat as well as drought tolerance because the grass helps shade the soil to reduce evaporation and it maximize the soil moisture content. With this, the need for frequent water could be minimize. Mower should be set at 11/2 inches high for common Bermuda; 1 inch high for hybrid Bermuda; 3 inches high for tall fescue; 21/2 inches for Kentucky bluegrass; and 21/2 to 3 inches for St. Augustine.

2. Water properly – Water the soil thoroughly down to its depth of 6 – 8 inches to prevent shallow root system, It is important to wet the soil properly so they could absorb the water very well. To check for its thorough absorption of water, insert a rod or screwdriver into the soil; it will stop when it reaches dry dirt.

3. Fertilize at the right time of year - This is one of the most important step. This depends on the type of grass. Fall or spring for cool-season lawns and late spring and early summer for warm-season lawns. But be aware of the insects that might ruin your grass like grubs that eat grass roots.

4. Aerate and dethatch - Remove small cores of soil as it is necessary for better water and penetration of nutrients.

5. Kill weeds – Buy such product that would be best for your lawn and try to know what kind of weeds you have in your lawn so you could have the right protection for your lawn against weeds. And learn to follow instructions properly.

Source: Lawn Care

- Bindweed. Its other common names are wild morning glory and creeping jenny. An extensive root system makes them difficult to pull. Paint a low-grade herbicide on the flower portions of the weed in August and September.

- Broadleaf Plantain. This low-growing perennial is marked by broad leaves with prominent veins. It has a habit of smothering grass blades. Herbicides work well against these troublesome weeds.

- Common Groundsel. This early-season weed is a maximum seed producer. They prefer damp, moist soil and can infiltrate your flowering beds as well as your lawn. Roundup works well here.

- Crabgrass. This summer annual has wide blades and a light blue color with red-purplish stems. Keeping your lawn mowed high will help control this crabgrass. There are also special crabgrass herbicides made for this pest.

- Dandelion. This perennial has yellow flowers and an extensive root system. Dandelions can appear anytime between March and November. Common herbicides should be applied to these lawn weeds during the fall months.

- Pigweed. This is an annual weed that can reach heights of two to four feet. Pigweed plants can produce upwards of 100,000 seeds per sprout. Spot treat these lawn weeds with Roundup or any other commercial grade herbicide.

Grassy weeds are hard to control because grass killers will kill lawn grasses as well as weedy grasses. Grassy weed prevent, such as Halts or Team, can be applied in the spring when the first dandelion blooms to prevent crabgrass and around Labor Day to prevent annual bluegrass. Coarse grasses which grow taller than the lawn grasses can be controlled by using a paint brush to apply Roundup to the taller tips.

Weeds are either broadleaf, such as dandelions and chickweed, or grassy, such as crabgrass and annual bluegrass. Broadleaf weeds are easiest to control since many lawn weed killers will kill broadleaf weeds without harming grass. Its active ingredients is either Trimec or 2,4-D. Weed and feed fertilizers have to be applied evenly over the entire lawn even where there are no weeds. The best weed control is a thick healthy lawn that crowds out weeds. Weeds are a sign that the lawn is stressed, usually by poor soil, lack of regular watering, lack of fertilizer or mowing too short. I once visited a natural prairie area on the edge of a school yard. The school yard was so full of dandelions that they overlapped but there were no more than a handful of dandelions in the entire prairie. The dandelions ended right at the edge of the mowed area. Low mowing allows more sunlight to reach the soil which encourages weed seed growth while a higher mowing height causes the soil to be in deeper shade, which discourages weed seed growth.

Another common weed is moss. It is almost guaranteed to grow during the rainy season anywhere there is shade. By spring, moss will have killed out quite a bit of grass. It is better to use moss killer in early winter before moss smothers the grass. Almost all moss killers for lawns contain iron sulphate. It will stain concrete so sidewalks, driveways and patios should be hosed off immediately after moss killer is applied.

Mowing Against Weeds

Even if only temporary, mowing your lawn is one of the most effective technique on how to get rid of those weeds on your lawn. Plants reproduce with their flowers A plant that can’t bloom won’t set seed. Even if mowing doesn’t have an effect on thistle-like weeds from reproducing, it will give your grass an even look.

Mulch against the Weed

To clear out your lawn, and lay down a layer of weed-suppressing mulch. To inhibit weed growth. Unwanted plant friends won’t be able to penetrate the layer of wood chips or other mulch material. According to the Seattle Post Intelligencer, tests showed that about 80 percent of an ivy stand will be killed within three months by an 8- to 12-inch smother mulch of coarse bark chips. Also, during your spare time, try sheet mulching. Put a mixture of green grass clippings and shredded dry leaves or straw on top of the area you want to garden. A layer 2 feet thick would be enough. After two years, this material gradually rots into compost, ready to be planted. Then almost everything will start to grow and the weeds will gradually disappear.

Chop and Un-root Weeds

Firmer treatment would be needed for tall weeds like nettles and blackberries . The solution is to first cut back their prickly top growth (wear gloves when you do this) and then dig out as much root as possible.

Combination Attack on Weeds

Combine all the attacks (except flame throwing.) Mow down all your growth. Dig out the bigger stuff, getting as much