Eliminate weeds

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Did you know that a single dandelion plant can produce up to 15,000 seeds that can survive even six years in the soil, eventually each of them being able to sprout?
Find out more about types of weeds and how to eliminate them from your lawn or garden with minimum or no impact at all on the environment.

 
We can say that weeds are plants that detract the eye from the beauty of lawns.
 
The contrast in color and texture between the desired plants and the weeds is an unwanted one and there for weeds must be gone.
 
And that’s not all. Weeds compete with lawn for resources as water and nutrients. Usually and without our intervention, weeds win.
 
According several distinct criteria, we have two classes of weeds: mono cots and dicots.
 
MONOCOTS
Have embryo with single seed leaf
Flowers are in multiples of three
Parallel major leaf veins
 
Most lawn mono cot weeds are Gramineae as quack grass, crabgrass, tall fescue, annual bluegrass etc.
 
DICOTS
Have embryo with two seed leaf
Flowers are in multiples of four or five
Reticulated major leaf veins
 
Dicots are termed broad leaf weeds, as knot weed, clover, dandelion, ground ivy etc.
 
Weed Control: cultural or chemical
 
A dense and vigorously growing lawn is usually the most effective weed control method.

Therefore regulary mowing and watering will thicken the lawn and there's no space and light left for the weeds to grow.

 
But weeds are often an indication of soil problems and eliminating them without correcting the soil problem will lead to bad results.
 
Take for example the knotweed. It usually indicates heavy compaction of soil. Killing it without addressing the soil issue will only solve the problem momentarily, until the area is again invaded by compacted soil weeds.
 
Another cultural way to control weeds is o simply alter the cultural practices (change the frequency of mowing, change the mowing height, aerate the soil or apply fertilizer).
 
Sometimes chemical herbicide use is necessary to control weeds effectively in the lawn. In case you decide to go for chemical herbicides, you should always carefully read and follow container labels.