Common Lawn Care Questions Answered: How do I Keep Weeds Away?
For many homeowners, having a beautifully green and even lawn is a point of pride. Unfortunately, weeds are an inevitability no matter where you live. Those dotted dandelions, clumps of crabgrass, and creeping clover often seem to show up overnight, appearing suddenly to ruin your perfect green lawn carpet. What can you do when weeds threaten? Fortunately, you have several options when it comes to getting rid of weeds and keeping them away from your yard.

For yards overgrown with weeds: If most of your yard looks like broadleaf weeds, ground ivy and bluegrass clumps instead of healthy green grass, you can still save your lawn. Yards that are overgrown with weeds can be treated with aggressive weed control products called non-selective herbicides that target weeds while feeding and nourishing your grass. Alternately, you may choose to start fresh by applying non-selective herbicide, and then tilling your entire yard and planting new grass seed.

For yards with some weeds
If you have mostly grass, but want to get rid of a few unsightly weeds, it's a good idea to identify the weeds first so you'll know how to combat them. Here are the three main types of weeds and how to handle them in your yard:
1) Broadleaf weeds: This is any weed with leaves, including clover, dandelion, and ground ivy (also called creeping Charlie). The best way to get rid of broadleaf weeds is by spot treating with a pressure sprayer and the least amount of herbicide possible to kill the plants.

2) Perennial grassy weeds: This type of weed is the broad, tall grassy variety such as quack grass, Bermuda grass, and wild fescue. Since this type of weed returns annually, it's best to remove these plants one by one. Pull perennial grassy weed clumps out using gloves that are lightly coated in herbicide, so the plant killer will spread to any remaining roots in the ground.

3) Annual grassy weeds: This type of weed that includes crabgrass and foxtail weeds dies at the end of the growing season, but often seeds itself in the same spots the following Spring. Prevention is the best way to avoid crabgrass by using a pre-emergent weed killer in the spring. If your lawn already has crabgrass, you can pull out clumps by hand and re-seed any bare patches.

Good lawn maintenance is the best way to prevent weeds from growing in your yard. Weeds tend to flourish in over-watered or under-watered areas, or in areas where the soil experiences excessive sun. This means you should keep your lawn properly watered and cut grass to the correct length.

Perhaps contrary to popular belief, cutting your grass higher is actually the most effective at keeping out weeds. Slightly taller grass encourages thicker grass growth, which in turn keeps weed seeds in shade and prevents them from growing. For best results, set your mower on one of the two highest settings when cutting your lawn. You can also help to prevent weed growth by watering your lawn deeply and infrequently. The deeper water penetration encourages strong, healthy grass root growth, which helps to keep weeds from taking root.

The Benefits of Grass Clippings
Grass clippings get a bad wrap. Many people will tell you that getting rid of the clippings is necessary, because the clippings will lead to thatch build up. However, many veterans of lawn maintenance know of the benefits, and leave them.

Thatch is the build up of non-decomposed plant material, which builds up between the soil surface and the top of the grass. The most common causes of thatch build up, are over watering, over fertilizing, and infrequent mowing. Your lawns soil hosts a variety of microorganisms that will break down grass clippings, but they are easily harmed by too much water, or too much fertilizer. Infrequent mowing can lead to excess grass stem clippings, which are tougher for the microorganisms to break down.

Grass clippings are fantastic. They are over 80% water, which means they help regulate soil moisture content, and keep your lawn looking lush, and healthy. They also help provide a lot of nutrients, such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. All of which you will find in standard lawn fertilizer.

Mowing height of the lawn is very important for efficient use of lawn clippings. You do not want to cut more than one third of the grasses height per mowing. For instance, if you wish to keep a lawn of 2 inches, then make sure to mow at 3 inches of height.

Different lawn types also require different optimal mowing heights. Kentucky bluegrass varieties will respond best to being mowed at 1.5-2.5 inches. Fine Fescue grasses should be kept at 1.5-3 inches. Ryegrasses should be kept shorter at 1-2 inches. Finally, sod should be kept the shortest at 0.75-1.5 inches.

During the spring and summer, you will want to mow your lawn once per week. Mowing on a weekly basis is very important. This is because if the grass grows too tall, then you will be cutting into grass stems. The stems do not break down as readily as the soft grass tops, which can cause thatch build up. Continue mowing into the fall, and keep a watchful eye for when the grass stops growing, at that point you can switch to winter maintenance.

Make sure to avoid clumped grass clippings. Not only do the grass clumps look unsightly when drying, they also do not break down at an even rate. This can cause an uneven distribution of nutrients for your lawn. You can avoid this by making sure to use sharp mower blades, and also using a leaf rake to evenly distribute the clippings across the lawns surface.

Another option, is to use a mulching or recycler type lawn mower. These cut the grass clippings into even smaller pieces, and helps to work them back into the grass, closer to the soil. This provides a quicker release of moisture and nutrients for your lawn.