6 Summertime Weed Control Tips and Tricks for Your Maryland Lawn

As the days get warmer and plants start to grow, now is the perfect time to prepare your lawn for summer. Without proper preparations, summer can wreak havoc on your grass and landscaping, as weeds rise up with the temperatures. Keep your lawn looking pristine this season with just a few easy summer lawn care tips.

1. Know Your Enemy

The first step to ensure a weed-free lawn is to know Maryland’s common weeds and watch out for them. Regular offenders include:

• Crabgrass: This aggressive annual weed germinates in spring, grows through the summer and dies in the colder months, leaving vulnerable bare areas behind. Keeping your lawn well-watered and nourished can decrease the chances of crabgrass getting a hold of your soil. 
• Goosegrass: Similar to crabgrass, goosegrass is an annual weed that targets overly compact grass. To prevent goosegrass, avoid mowing your lawn too short. If it’s already popping up, you can pull it out by hand or use a lawn treatment. 
• Spotted spurge: This annual weed is named for the red dots on its round green leaves. Water and nourish your lawn so it grows lush and thick, leaving no room for this spotty menace.
• Lespedeza: Lespedeza, also known as Japanese clover, resembles a clover with pinkish-purple flowers. It’s a particularly tough annual weed, so aim to wipe it out and maintain a healthy lawn so it doesn’t return.
• Black medic: This is another annual summer weed. It lays low and spreads before you notice it. A healthy, thick lawn will prevent the bare areas that invite black medic weeds to take root. 
• Dallisgrass: Compared to crabgrass, dallisgrass grows in taller clumps and has yellow-green blades with a central white vein. This perennial weed will return each year unless you wipe it out. 
• Yellow nutsedge: This is another grassy, rapid-growing perennial weed. Yellow nutsedge thrives in wet areas, so ensure your lawn has ample drainage to prevent growth.
• Oxalis: There are two oxalis varieties — yellow woodsorrel and creeping woodsorrel. Oxalis is a perennial weed that spreads quickly and keeps coming back until you eradicate it.

2. Mow Your Lawn Regularly

During the summer season, the high temperatures and increased precipitation in Maryland can cause your grass to grow quickly. Mowing your lawn properly is one of the most effective steps you can take to maintain its health and beauty. 

It is ideal to mow your lawn at least twice a week during the summer. However, don’t overdo it, as some weeds take over in compact patches when you mow your lawn too short. The right length depends on your type of grass, but generally, you can aim for a height of 3 to 4 inches.

Avoid mowing your lawn during the hottest time of the day. The midday heat puts too much strain on your grass — and probably isn’t too comfortable for you either! Instead, mow your lawn in the midmorning or late afternoon. 

After mowing, spread out grass clippings to provide extra shade and avoid excess moisture in any one area.

3. Aerate Your Lawn

Use a lawn aerator and make multiple passes over the most compacted areas of grass. Leave the oil plugs in the lawn and allow them to dry out, then run them over with a lawnmower or with a rake. 

Lawn aeration creates small holes in the soil, which allows water, air and nutrients to enter the roots. Allowing these to enter the soil creates a healthier and more vibrant lawn.

4. Reseed Your Grass to Promote Growth

During the spring and summer, your grass is actively growing, so it requires nutrients. Spread a small amount of fertilizer before adding the seed on top of your grass. You can use mulch or a seed accelerator to encourage growth, along with a healthy supply of water. 

Fertilizer plays an important role in a healthy lawn while getting rid of weeds and pests. Use the correct organic fertilizer for your grass to achieve the desired results.

5. Schedule Pre-Emergent Weed Control

You’re aware of the main weeds attacking Maryland lawns. You’ve got a good lawn care routine to encourage a healthy, weed-resistant lawn. Now, it’s time to take some special measures to discourage weeds from growing in the first place. This annual preventive approach is called pre-emergent weed control because it involves fighting weeds before they have a chance to take root. 

Keep these tips in mind for a successful pre-emergent treatment:

• Apply pre-emergent treatments in early spring when temperatures begin approaching 55 degrees Fahrenheit, as annual weeds like crabgrass germinate at this temperature. 
• Look for organic pre-emergent herbicides, as these are kinder to your lawn and the environment. 
• Avoid watering your turf for 48 hours after application so that you don’t wash away the herbicides before they finish working.

6. Remove Any Emergent Weeds and Moss

If weeds have already popped up, take quick and decisive action to remove them completely and stop them from coming back.

Many yard weeds are aggressive and will steal nutrients and resources from your lawn. Remove weeds before they get out of hand and negatively impact your lawn. In addition to simply pulling them up, there are weed control strategies you can use to fight back, including:

• Mulch: This stops fledgling weeds from accessing sunlight.
• Corn gluten: This natural substance dries out roots, preventing weeds from accessing water and nutrients.
• Horticultural vinegars: These are effective weed killers but can be equally harmful to grasses and other plants.
• Chemical herbicides: These chemical products are highly effective at killing weeds but have very negative environmental impacts.

Contact OrganicLawns Today for Eco-Friendly Lawn Care!

OrganicLawns is Maryland’s leading organic lawn care company. The only thing we value as much as following ethical, organic lawns and eco-friendly practices is our customer service. That’s why you can trust us to give you your dream lawn and provide the highest level of customer service.

If you are searching for the best local lawn care services in Maryland, contact OrganicLawns. We offer quality lawn care services and products at unmatched prices. Whether you need professional weed control services or help maintaining a lush lawn year-round, OrganicLawns is your family-owned, environmentally friendly lawn care partner. 

For organic lawn care and maintenance services, contact us for a free lawn estimate or call us at 410-536-5800.