Learn / Ask The Landscape Professional
Weeds are growing like crazy in my lawn, what can I do?
Answer
You ask a very good question. There are a
few different things that could be going on. I will
address each of them in the next few weeks.
This summer so far has been very wet and
both grass and weeds have thrived. When
you have lots of lawn weeds that is a sign that
not enough "good" grass is growing and the
weeds have moved in. There are several likely
causes:
#1 Your lawn's pH is off - Normal grass likes to grow in a relatively neutral pH soil
of 6.5-6.8 (pH is the measure of the acidity of your soil that ranges from 1 to 14, with 1
being the most acidic and around 7 being neutral)). The most important thing you can
do for your lawn is to determine its pH and then take action. If your pH is off, the grass
cannot and will not be healthy and weeds will move in. Fortunately, pH is relatively easy
and inexpensive to adjust in soil. Most lawns in this area have low pH (acidic) which is
corrected by a lime application(s). It will take several months for the lime to be effective,
and it may take multiple applications. If the pH is too high, sulfur is used to adjust. A
soil test is required to determine your pH. There are do-it-yourself soil testing kits on the
market that I think are a waste of your money due to their inaccuracy and lack of useful
information they provide. A better approach for you is to send a soil sample to the University
of Connecticut or other state university and they will send you back an extensive
analysis for a fee. This time of year expect a bit of a wait. Sprigs & Twigs also provides
a testing and analysis service for a nominal charge; we would be happy to visit your
property, test your soil, provide you with the analytical results from a national laboratory,
a written evaluation and recommendations to correct pH(and other things) that might be
needed. Our turnaround time is about one week from when you authorize the work.
#2 Poor Soil Health PromotesWeed Growth - (I'll discuss this next week)
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About Linda Lillie
Linda K. Lillie is the President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc, the premier
landscape design and maintenance, tree care, lawn care, stonework, and carpentry
service provider in southeastern Connecticut since 1997. She is a graduate of
Connecticut College in Botany, a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national
award winning landscape designer for her landscape design and landscape installation work.
