Lawn weeds are a common issue that property owners in Ohio deal with. It can be incredibly frustrating to find weeds on your lawn, which is why many people turn to weed control treatments to help with the issue. There are two types of weed control: pre-emergent and post-emergent. In order to achieve a consistently weed-free lawn, you must use both types.

Pre-emergent weed control is a preventative herbicide that stops weeds from growing in the first place. Post-emergent weed control is used to kill any weeds that have already grown in your grass. Both pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control treatments are vital to making sure your lawn is healthy and weed-free!

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

Lawn care specialist applying pre-emergent weed treatment over a lawn in Ashland, OH.

Pre-emergent weed control is a preventative measure that keeps weeds from growing in the first place. It essentially acts as a barrier in the soil and prevents the weeds from sprouting. The weed seeds will still germinate, but, as they grow, they'll hit the pre-emergent barrier and won't be able to grow any further or sprout through the soil. This will block the weeds from getting essential resources like air and nutrients, thus, killing them before you ever see them.

Because pre-emergent herbicides prevent weeds from sprouting, they should be applied in the spring and early fall prior to the germination period for weeds. Applying pre-emergent weed control in the spring will prevent weeds from popping up in the summer months. Using pre-emergent weed control in the early fall will keep winter weeds from sprouting.

Pre-emergent weed control is applied to the entire lawn as opposed to being used as a spot treatment.

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

Post-emergent weed control applied to lawn in Ashland, OH.

Post-emergent weed control kills the weeds that have already sprouted on your lawn. Unlike a pre-emergent herbicide, it is used as a spot treatment, meaning that you will only spray where you see weeds. Post-emergent treatments eradicate several different kinds of pesky weeds that you may find on your property.

The best time to apply post-emergent herbicides is whenever you see weeds on your lawn, which is typically throughout the summer. This is around the time when the seeds that germinated in the spring will pop out of the soil. Summer is a stressful time for your grass because of the heat, and your turf will need a lot of nutrients to survive. Weeds take those nutrients from the grass, so you will want to get rid of the weeds before they can harm your grass.

Achieve a weed-free lawn by using both treatments!

While each type of weed control treatment has its benefits, neither will leave your lawn weed-free on its own. Both pre-emergent and post-emergent treatments are needed to completely eradicate weeds. Pre-emergent weed control stops weeds from sprouting, but the seeds that have already reached a certain point in their life cycle will still pop out of the soil and grow. Post-emergent weed control kills weeds that have sprouted, but they do not stop other weeds from growing. Using both types of weed treatments will stop weeds from growing and kill the weeds that already have to give you a weed-free lawn!

Call us today to schedule your pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control!

At Free Spray Lawn Care, we want to make sure your lawn is healthy and weed-free throughout the year. We will keep your lawn healthy with our 7-step lawn care program, which includes both pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control.

We provide our weed control services to residential and commercial properties in Mansfield, Wooster, Strongsville, and the surrounding areas in Ohio. Call us at 419-529-5296 to schedule your weed control program today!