What to Know About Winter Weed Control
Most yards in the desert of Southern Arizona are considered low maintenance because homeowners don’t have to worry about mowing, watering or other time consuming and costing maintenance tasks. While they’re correct about the mowing and the amount of water many desert plants require, weeds are still an issue. Now is the time to take steps to reduce the headache of spring weeding!
Weed control measures
Mechanical removal, e.g. hand pulling weeds or weed-wacking, is not only time consuming and physically laborious, but it is generally ineffective at preventing future weed growth. To ensure the weed doesn’t just grow back a few weeks or months later, the entire weed, including the root, must be removed. In addition, if the weed is already flowering or producing seeds, you must be careful not to spread those seeds to other areas while you’re pulling them.
Pre-Emergent Applications
The best way to control weed growth in your yard is to use a combination of pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicide applications. The winter months, i.e. December and January, are the ideal time to perform a pre-emergent application. This application is specifically designed to penetrate the initial layer of soil and target seeds before they germinate or sprout. This initial barrier covers the entire yard and prevents new growth, significantly reducing the growth of weeds in the spring. In addition, it’s safe for existing plants because it targets the seeds. It’s also recommended that a pre-emergent application be performed again in the summer months.
Post-Emergent Applications
Although the pre-emergent application will significantly reduce the number of weeds that grow, there will still be some weeds that make it through the pre-emergent barrier. Therefore, in the spring months post-emergent applications should be made. These applications will target just the weeds that break through and should be performed before the weeds begin to flower and produce seeds. By eliminating the weeds prior to them dropping their seeds, you’ll once again significantly reduce future weed growth.
Year-round weed control programs by licensed professionals are highly effective because they have the training to understand weed life cycles and treatment cycles to ensure the right products are being applied at the right time and in a safe and controlled manner. As regular services are performed year after year, weed growth will continue to decrease.
Let the local experts at Bill’s Home Service help you stop the weeds before they start this winter. For more information or to schedule an initial appointment call (520) 625-2381 or visit www.BillsHomeService.com.
