How To Control Weeds During The Rainy Season

When it rains, especially if the temperature is moderate or warm, plants, lawns, and less desired, namely weeds, grow fast.

Some weeds thrive and love dry soils and hot temperatures. While wet and even cool weather is the optimum condition for some weed types.  Therefore in your yard and surrounding your property, weeds that are not controlled can take over and become more prevalent than your grass, plants, and trees!

Controlling weeds is not just for when you’re preparing to sell your home.  You’ll want to keep up with garden and lawn maintenance for aesthetics and also enjoyment, including outdoor living and entertaining.

Here are some tips on how to keep weeds under control, especially during the rainy season. The topics covered in this property talk article include:

• Weed Types
• Weeds that thrive in wet conditions
• Professional weed control service vs.DIY
• Lawn maintenance and care

Weed Types

Without getting too technical, weeds are graded based on their form or structure (morphological), lifecycle, and habitat. Weeds are either grasses, sedges, or broadleaf weeds.

Some weeds last a season, i.e., annuals, while others may last a couple of years (biennials) or longer (perennials).

Some weeds exist immersed in water or semi-aquatic. In this blog post, we’re concerned with weeds on dry land, called terrestrial.

Weeds That Thrive In Wet Conditions

All plants, including weeds, need water to grow. However, many plants and grasses love dry soil and hot weather, including spotted spurge, thistle, crabgrass, and clover.

Doing some DIY weed control during summer is tolerated by homeowners and residents as the weather is agreeable to spending time outside. Unfortunately, weeds don’t just grow in summer; they can also take over your lawn in the rainy season when you’re less inclined to spend time outdoors. Some common weeds love wet conditions in warm and cool temperatures.

Annual Bluegrass (poa annua)

This weed loves cooler temperatures and wet soil.

Nutsedge or Nut Grass

This variety of weeds loves warm, wet weather, and it isn’t easy to control.

Henbit

If you live in North Texas, your yard will have this weed. It’s a broadleaf that thrives in fertile, moist soil.

Rescuegrass

Rescuegrass loves cooler climates, and it will be almost impossible to control manually if you’ve let it establish itself in your yard.

Ground Ivy

You may have ground ivy in the shady and moist areas surrounding your grass. It’s more prevalent in wooded areas and can extend to where your trees meet your lawn.

Common Chickweed

This weed thrives in cool, moist, and shaded spots.

Dallisgrass

In leaving the most resilient weed to last, Dalligrass is your nemesis in the yard, and it loves the wet weather. With exceptionally strong root systems pulling the entire weed out by hand is nearly impossible. Leave any of it behind, and Dalligrass will spread like wildfire in no time. This is one weed that needs professional weed control.

Professional Weed Control Vs. DIY

Some weeds can be removed from lawns easily, but those with almost indestructible root systems need more than a good tug to get them out of the ground.

In the rainy season, consider using a professional to do the job for you rather than spend your precious leisure time pulling out weeds. Get recommendations from keen gardeners or lawn care professionals on the best action for your specific needs.

Not all lawns or soil conditions are the same, so not all advice, primarily if it’s provided sight unseen, will work. The only way you can be assured your yard and lawns will be weed-free is to engage a professional weed control service.

You can still put your DIY weed control to good use – just in another way. Focus your time on lawn and soil maintenance to prevent weeds from taking hold if they come back.

Let’s face it total eradication of weeds is not possible. If it were, our gardens would be weed-free. Nature has a way of letting us know it’s in control. However, as the homeowner, you can get involved in controlling weeds by looking after your lawns.

Lawn Maintenance and Care

The quality of your soil plays a critical role in the health of your lawns. Here are a few tips to improve soil quality, keep weeds down, and keep the grass green.

• Don’t cut the grass too short. Longer grass, i.e., 3 – 4 inches, is ideal
• Mow the grass regularly – how often depends on long it gets
• Water early morning or in the evening
• Keep the soil aerated – you may need professional help with this task
• Fertilize your lawn in Spring

Summing up

Nature rules and weeds will constantly challenge us.  However, the good news is lawns without weeds are doable.  Plus you don’t need to spend your precious free time weeding.   Using professionals to take care of weed control and the well-being of your gardens and lawns is not cheating. 😉