Weeds are pesky plants that can be detrimental to your grass in Ohio if they're not dealt with. Not to worry, though, because there are treatments to help keep your lawn weed-free. To accomplish this, you'll want to use both pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control. Pre-emergent weed control treatments keep weeds from sprouting in the first place, while post-emergents kill any that have already popped out of the soil. The best time to apply pre-emergents is in the late winter/early spring, while you can utilize post-emergent weed control treatments any time from the spring through the fall when you see weeds on your lawn. Both of these are essential to making sure your lawn is completely weed-free throughout the year.

What is pre-emergent weed control, and when should it be applied?

Professional applying pre-emergent to lawn in Grove City, OH.

Pre-emergent weed control is a treatment that keeps weeds from growing in the first place. It acts like a blanket over your lawn and keeps weeds from sprouting through the soil. It won’t stop seeds from germinating, but once they start to grow, the pre-emergent treatment will keep them from breaking through the surface of your lawn so they don’t sprout on your lawn and take nutrients from the grass.

It’s best to apply pre-emergent weed control in the late winter or early spring before seeds begin to germinate. Administering pre-emergent weed control around this time will help prevent weeds from popping up in the spring and summer when your grass needs all the nutrients it can get.

What is post-emergent weed control, and when should it be applied?

Post emergent being applied to a dandelion in a lawn in Reynoldsburg, OH.

Post-emergent weed control is used to eliminate weeds after they’ve already sprouted. It’s used as a spot treatment to kill specific weeds instead of being administered like a blanket over the entire lawn like pre-emergents. You’ll want to use post-emergent weed control whenever you see weeds from the spring until the fall. It's best to start in the spring when the weeds are beginning to grow. In the summer, you don't want weeds to steal vital nutrients from your grass, so you'll want to continue through the hotter months. Finally, you'll want to get rid of weeds in the fall so they don't get a chance to steal the nutrients your grass needs before entering winter dormancy.

Common weeds found in Ohio include crabgrass, dandelion, henbit, clover, spurge, and wild geranium.

Why do you need both pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control treatments?

Both pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control treatments are essential for having a weed-free lawn. Pre-emergent weed control is the first line of defense that will make controlling weeds on your lawn much easier than if you were to skip it. Post-emergent weed control eliminates any weeds that were already passed a certain point in their growth cycle and sprouted through the soil even after a pre-emergent application. If you don’t combine them, you might still have trouble with weeds. Pre-emergent weed control doesn’t kill existing weeds, but you’d need to administer a lot more post-emergent treatments without it. By combining both, you can make it easy to keep your property free of weeds throughout the year.

Call us today to sign up for our weed control program!

Do you want a weed-free lawn this year? If so, we're the ones for the job! At Lawn Control Center, we offer our weed control program to make sure your lawn doesn't become overrun with pesky weeds. What's more, this program also includes fertilization treatments so your grass will simultaneously be getting all the nutrients it needs to thrive.

We offer our weed control program to residential and commercial properties, plus HOAs, in Columbus, Westerville, Lewis Center, and the nearby areas in Ohio. Give us a call today at (888) 421-0601 to sign up for our weed control program!