The usual suspects…Dandelions, Plantain, Clover, and Violets
First off, remember this: the weeds growing in your lawn are screaming about the condition of your soil. Next, not all weeds are bad, accepting that your home lawn is not used as a PGA tour course or professional football field should increase your tolerance level to low-moderate weed population at any given time.
Before you declare war on these uninvited green guests, take some time to find out what they’re really saying to help get to the root of the problem. Spraying every weed on sight is not good for your mental health or the environment.
Dandelions: Low calcium and soil is tight
Long term solution: Increase calcium levels in soil via chicken litter, fall aerification and heavy overseed of desirable grass or ground cover
Clover: Organic matter is low but pH is just right for cool season grasses
Long term solution: Clover should not be completed removed but can be reduced and managed by proper pH and nutrient balancing per soil test.
Plantain: very compacted soil and poor drainage
Long term solution: Check soil test for signs of chemical compaction, aerification and proper watering practices
Violets: Excessive moisture in top 3 inches of soil
Long term solution: aerification to allow water to flow deeper into the soil, adding a physical soil amendment into the aerification holes to prevent recompaction
Remember, the best weed control is a thick dense TALL lawn so seed in both the spring and the fall.
