5 Steps to a Great Lawn pt 5- Weeds!

Whew, the final step. I know, it’s been taking forever for those of you waiting, but each section has grown much larger than I originally thought I’d make it and I still feel like I’m leaving out a load of details. There will be more information to follow here and the MyGreenUtah site though, with plenty of chances to go into things in irritating detail, so we’ll continue with what I feel are the basics with part 5 here, weed control.

So you’re wondering why I didn’t list weed control in the “pie of responsibility” in part 4, right? Well, the answer is pretty simple, if you are taking care of the big three, weed control becomes a very minor part and in fact, in many lawns, there are no weed controls that need to be done. Why? Simple. A thick turf will out compete everything else. Period. End of story. You already know that by now though, so let’s go ahead and discuss what to do about the weeds until you get to that point. The first thing you need to know is that you must identify the weed before you can do anything about it. Relax, you’re not going to need a degree in botany to do this. Most of the weeds that are going to be a problem for you fall into 1 of 2 categories, broadleaf or grassy. If it looks like grass, regardless of it’s giant or tiny, standing upright or going straight sideways, it’s a grassy weed. Simple enough. If it’s not a grassy weed, then it must be what? Yes, broadleaf. Some chemical control labels also add woody stemmed weeds to this mix, but if it’s still small and has a flexible stem, we’re going to call it broadleaf for these purposes.

Labels. It’s amazing to me how no one ever seems to read these. By law, every single thing that you need to know about a pesticide is right there. When you can apply, what’s in it, what the targets are, mixing, protective equipment, use warnings and what to expect. Why you would not even take a minute to read this info is baffling to me, so get to it! It’s true of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, etc. so if you really want to know exactly how a particular product will perform, read it’s label! Know before you buy, that way you will know if you have the right equipment or even if it’s the right product for what you’re trying to do.

Next, selective vs. nonselective herbicides. Selective is just like it sounds, it selects certain types of weeds to kill while leaving other plants alone. This is the type you would use in a turf setting, a broadleaf control to knock down pests like dandelions, thistle, clover, etc. while leaving the turf alone. A nonselective example would be something along the lines of Roundup, killing everything you spray it on. If you don’t know this about Roundup, you need to stop right now and go read my article on Roundup, Friend or Foe. We’ll be waiting here for ya when you get back.

If you read through the previous 4 steps on your way here, you’ll know how I favor cultural practices instead of just popping chems all the time. Chemical controls certainly have their place in best management practices, but you really need to be thinking about using as little as possible to achieve your desired effects. There are also a host of organic solutions, but for this article, we’ll stay to the mainstream techniques and products easily available to you.

2,4-D…what is it for and will it kill my dog? The question regarding the dog gets asked far too much for my tastes, but let’s go ahead and address it one more time. In short, this is an urban myth with it’s genesis in a flawed study conducted way back and debunked over and over again. 2,4-D is a selective broadleaf herbicide that has been in use for over 50 years and made it’s way through multiple rounds of classifications under FIFRA and EPA revues. When the label is followed and reentry time frames observed, as according to the law, it presents no appreciable elevated risk of harm to any animal. Now, does this mean I want to fill Fifi’s water bowl with it? Use your damn head. I’m not going to let a dog get into it anymore than I would let that dog get into an endless supply of chocolate milk. It’s quantity and ingestion that makes the difference. On your lawn, we’re talking most products applied at 1.5 oz per 1000 sq. feet! Remember, we’re growing living plants here too and anything out of whack is going to affect them as well, defeating the purpose of using it in the first place.

Getting it sticky. One of the top pro tricks when it comes to herbicides is to use a what’s known as an adjuvant. A spreader/sticker, something to bond your herbicide to the plant for just a little longer so the plant absorbs more and you get a better kill with less herbicide. You see, most herbicides work by soaking in through the leaf of the plant, with a few adding root uptake as well. Why? Because, A) you can see the plant you want dead, usually giving you a nice fat target and B) If they were to try to move up all through the roots, you may have your product get tied up in the soil or move off target through what is known as leaching. So awfully nice of them to make products that can soak in through the leaf then, right? Anyway, because of this, adding a sticker to a herbicide let’s you get penetration on tough weeds that have a waxy coating on them that would normally repel your herbicide. Clover, oxalis, medic, spurge, morning glory….oh yeah, if you’ve had any of these, you know what I’m talking about. If you can’t find a small bottle of it where you get your herbicides, try a shot of dish soap. More foamy than I like, but generally they are ph neutral and will do the job in a pinch.

Equipment. Spray bottle, hose end sprayer, pump up can, 300 gallon skid? What you use to put down the herbicide will affect the results just as much as what product you choose. Accuracy, in both mixing and applying, is the key to choosing equipment. Probably the largest problem I see revolves around drift and mismeasurements. The first, drift, is the results of using something that applies a small droplet and adding high pressure to it. Many pump up sprayers and spray bottles fall into this category and especially become devastating when using a nonselective like Roundup. In fact, I would venture to say that this is the reason why people think Roundup travels in the soil, because they killed a larger area or nearby plant when they sprayed down a weed. In truth, they did not account for drift and wind carried droplets further out than they expected, contacting other plants and killing them. Does this mean pump up sprayers and bottles cannot apply properly? No. By choosing a narrow stream or changing tips to one that applies larger droplet sizes, these can work well in spot spraying applications. The key is to be aware of the true spray width and a good way to do this is to apply on a piece of cement or asphalt first and observe the wet pattern, including extra small droplets out on the perimeter. This will give you an idea if you need to change the stream size, move to a different tip or move closer to your target to shrink the spray area. Hose end sprayers present their own problems and are not recommended for applying herbicides of any sort due to water pressures and flows being too variable, as well as the possibility of back flowing into your house‘s drinking water supply. MMMMMMMMM… Save that hose end sprayer for adding small amounts of soluble fert to your flower beds and don’t consider it for anything else. What about granular forms put down with your spreader? The problem with this method can also be off target apps (think of using a broadcast spreader and throwing into your flower beds, killing your flowers along with the weeds) and the need to wet the turf first to get the granules to stick to the leaf, hoping that they do. It’s pretty inefficient and not all that effective. Stick to liquid every chance you get. Wickers. There is yet another method of weed applying that I consider to be the safest of all for spot treating. It’s known as the wicker and it in essence has a surface that holds the herbicide on it then you brush it on your target, wetting only that target and nothing else. High winds, sensitive plants next to it. This is my choice for those applications. The only drawback is keeping the wick wet without dripping in high temp/low humidity situations. The other equipment out there is generally reserved for the pros because of the cost and the volumes the put down. We’re talking about the pressurized tank set up with a hose, gun and reel. Far and away the most accurate way of doing blanket treatments on a lawn in the hands of the experienced user. Generally, water is mixed with herbicides, fert, etc. in the tank then delivered by an onboard pump at a known pressure and rate to the gun end, allowing mixes to be made for the average walking speed of the applicator and the per 1000 sq. feet covered per minute. Again, the choice for pros, but unrealistic for most homeowners.

Mixing. A little does pretty well, I’ll just add a bit more to get even better results, right? Wrong! Worse yet, no measuring at all, a little splash or a few glugs..no no no! Herbicides have what is known as effective ratio window, again, on the labels of every kind. This means, you mix and measure for the specific results that you are seeking. Above or below that rate and you will not get the desired effects and may even cause additional damage. Always stay to the label rates, measure with the proper equipment (this means don’t use the measuring cup from the kitchen and expect to return it there after you’re done). Wear protective gloves (not leather or ski types, they soak in chems and hold them against your skin even longer) and whatever other protection the label calls for, whether that be an apron, safety glasses or even a respirator. If you don’t know how much your container holds that you will be applying from, do a little measuring and marking with water and a permanent marker first so that you can accurately make your mixes. Most already are marked, but make sure you have someway of telling how much you have.

Application. We covered what was involved in choosing equipment for the job and mixing, the next is calibrating. Relax, this means knowing how much you are putting down over an area size. If you are spot spraying, there is no real way of measuring that out in area, but most labels will carry a spray to wet mixture for spot spraying. This means wet. Not dripping, not flooding. Wet. Droplets glistening on the leaf, that’s it. Traveling off target to other areas is your just reward for ignoring this instruction, resulting in damage further out, just like drift. If you need to do a larger area, you must take into consideration for calibration these things. Speed, volume and area to know your proper mix rates. This means how many square feet your pattern is covering while you walk per minute and how much volume is being produced each minute by your equipment. If you can’t figure these numbers, it’s best to leave it to someone that can accurately calibrate the proper equipment. Wind and temperature also need to be mentioned in application. If winds are high, depending on your equipment type, you can drift off target to undesirable affects. Temperature also comes in to play with many herbicides volatizing (changing) at certain temperatures, resulting in possible damage to plants. Also, with temps too low, you may not have any plant uptake, resulting in wasting your time and product. Check the labels for your specific product to get more info, it will be there.

Storage. Where are you going to keep your products and tools? Well, the best place is away form pets and children in a secure space that gets neither too hot nor too cold. Many chemicals will change properties if they freeze or get above a certain temperature or are stored for long periods and can certainly be dangerous to all in their concentrated forms. My advice to you then is to try and not buy more than you will need for the task at hand. This will keep stored concentrates at a minimum then you will need to just worry about your sprayer. Clean it out after each use (many herbicides will degrade sprayer parts if left to sit for long periods), following label directions, or dispose of it properly, which will be determined by your local agencies.

I know, I know, you were hoping I’d just make a list of what to use, when and where here. But I hope you take the above to heart, because this information is far more valuable if you learn it. Success with herbicides revolves around safely and accurately handling them, then gaining more information from the label of the product you are considering. Products will come and go and so what we may recommend now, may not even be available next year. But smart handling and safety will never change and it will always be the secret to success. Watch the www.MyGreenUtah.com site for more details and answers to specific questions regarding herbicides and targets as they crop up in our area during the growing seasons. Thank you for plowing through the 5 steps set and we hope that you’ll be better equipped and informed because of it.